Sweetly obsessive first love in EPOV
by WiddleWombat
Summary: Edward knows Bella from his dreams, when he meets her in real life he becomes mildly obsessed. Bella is still haunted by the death of her first love four years ago. Can Edward help Bella heal? And if he does, will she choose him? EPOV, All human, lemons
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Hi all, thanks for choosing to open this story. To anyone that has read my writing before, please rest assured that this is a HAPPY story in essence (well compared to the others) and please forgive me for starting yet another story when I haven't tied off the others. I really need to be inspired at the right time for each story but yes, I will finish them! This one came to me in my sleep and I had to get it all out before I could go back to anything else, oh to be plagued with dreams of Edward – I should be so lucky!**

Chapter 1 - Memories

A fleeting memory can be a haunting dream, haunting dreams can have a thread of truth in them. Sometimes they blur and you've had the same dream so many times that you start to believe that it's a memory. That's what my dreams were like. Memories, someone else's memories.

When I was six, my mother sent me away to a prestigious boys' boarding school in London so that she could spend more time with her new husband. My father had remarried as soon as their divorce was finalised and he lived with his new wife and my twin half-siblings in Forks, an American city half way around the world. I had been too young to understand the implications of my half-siblings birth, but by the time I was ten I had realised that Alice and James had been conceived during my parents marriage and I stopped visiting him and Esme that year out of pure disgust.

I was twelve when my mother and step-father were killed in a yachting accident, I was their only child. My twin half-siblings were at their funeral with Dad and Esme and it was then that I realised the remarkable bond I shared with Alice, my half-sister. It seemed, that through no fault of our own, we could read each others minds. Alice saw visions of the future while I found that if I concentrated, I could hear what others were thinking. We were only two years apart in age and I found a life-long friend in Alice, we kept in touch by email and I phoned her from school in the time allocated for us students to phone home once a week.

At sixteen I had just finished my exams for the year and I had turned down a night of partying for an early bedtime. Something had been off, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what, I'd assumed it was the stress of studying catching up with me. That was the first night I had the dream.

A woman with fiery red hair and bright green eyes fills the room with fear. I am Alice in the dream and I cower underneath a desk, we are in a classroom. I am scared for my twin brother, James, he is who the woman is focused on. He stands frozen in fear at the front of the room, facing the class. All of the other children are hiding under desks too, except one. A brave girl with deep brown eyes and thick brown hair creeps forward towards James, I am scared for her too, she is my best friend. She is crying silently, her pale arms shake with fear but she creeps closer to James and the woman anyway. The flame haired woman has a gun and she's holding it to James' temple, he has his eyes closed. The beautiful girl has a scalpel, like the standard issue biology ones, and she grips it as though it will be what saves us all. The woman announces that she will be killing us all, one by one, and that James is first. The beautiful girl has managed to sneak behind the woman and I close my eyes, I can't watch. I hear a gunshot and open my eyes to see my friend plunge the scalpel deep into the woman's neck. There is blood everywhere, James is gone, I can't see him at all but I know that he is dead. The woman is screaming, children are screaming, police run into the room and shoot the woman dead in front of us. They shoot her fourteen times, I count the shots, one for each year James was alive.

I expected the call from Alice the next morning, James was dead. A psychiatric patient had escaped from an Arizona hospital and had been on the run for weeks, she had turned up at the Forks High School and marched into my half-siblings History class, telling the teacher that there was an urgent message at the front desk and that she would supervise the class if the teacher would like to check it. The rest I saw through my dreams, courtesy of Alice I supposed.

The funeral was held during my school holidays and I sat up the front beside my family at Alice's request. Dad and Esme were heartbroken but it was the brave young girl with the deep brown eyes who placed a single white rose on my brother's coffin that eventually made me cry. James had fallen in love the previous Summer and the girl from my dreams had been his girlfriend, his first love and at only fourteen, she was heartbroken. I had never loved anyone other than myself, and maybe Alice, but in that moment I truly felt her loss. I don't remember seeing her again that Summer, in fact, I had never seen her face in full, not at the funeral and not in my dreams. She was a ghost to me, a figment of my imagination because I hadn't been there in the room, and yet the dream felt so real. Like a memory.

I returned to boarding school in London to finish my final year and graduate. No one came to my graduation ceremony, Dad and Esme sent flowers and their best wishes, and Alice phoned me with her over-enthusiastic congratulations. She had met a boy and she begged me to consider college in America so that she could be close to me and so that I could meet her 'soul-mate', Jasper. I had laughed at his old-fashioned name before promising to consider a local college. In the end I chose Seattle, a few hours' drive to Forks, so that Alice could visit me as often as she liked, and she did.

That was two years ago now. I was beginning my third year of medical school this year and Alice was starting at the same college. I had organised an apartment in the same block as mine for my sister to live, Dad had purchased it last month before he realised she intended to live with Jasper. At least Dad and I were on the same page when it came to protecting Alice from the world, it was Esme who stood up for Alice in the arguments that followed and eventually Dad conceded that Jasper was a calming influence on Alice and that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He did however threaten Jasper with certain death if his little girl was to be found in the family way before any type of marriage had occurred. I rented a removalist truck from Seattle and made the long trip home to help Alice move, which was how I found myself in the Forks diner at seven in the morning on a Sunday.

I needed coffee. It was going to be a long day but I had insisted that she move at least a fortnight before classes started because, knowing Alice, it would take her that long to accessorise her new apartment. Fortunately Jasper had only a few boxes and a suitcase, which left plenty of room for the furniture, clothing and shoes that Alice had acquired over her last eighteen years. I sighed and paid for the coffee, throwing in a chocolate muffin at the last moment. I would need all the sugar I could get.

The diner was mostly empty but I walked to the back regardless, I was the spitting image of my father and since he was the town's most respected doctor, people were bound to start gossiping if they saw me. Not that Carlisle had ever denied my existence, in fact, he was proud of me and if anything I denied his paternity. How he could have cheated on my mother when I was still in nappies was still a sore point between us and I tolerated his presence in my life for Alice's sake, although I preferred not to be introduced as his son, and I'd kept my mother's maiden name, Mason, so that less questions would be asked.

I slipped into a booth and sat my coffee on the table before looking up into the most beautiful deep brown eyes I had ever seen, framed by raised eyebrows and the most delicious hint of a smile. I blushed a brilliant red at my error, slipping into an occupied booth, which was quite possibly the ONLY occupied booth in the otherwise empty diner. The girl could be forgiven for thinking I had been trying to attract her attention.

"I'm so sorry, I was just trying to find a quiet booth, I didn't check..."

She laughed softly, it would appear she wasn't upset about my mistake. "Well, this is most definitely the most private booth in here, however I do believe it is occupied, so if you were hoping for peace..." she let her sentence trail off.

"Um, no. Company is okay, if you're offering," wow, I was making a fool of myself now. Of course she wasn't offering. In fact, she had her laptop in front of her, she had been working before I had interrupted.

"You're not from around here," it was a statement but I nodded. I wasn't usually stuck for words around girls, I was quite handsome and I knew it. In fact, sometimes I had been guilty of using it to my advantage, not that I was some type of man-whore, I was still a virgin to be honest but only Alice knew that. I was stuck for words now though.

"What are you doing?" I indicated towards her laptop, then regretted my words. What if she had been doing something personal? Like, well, I don't know. It was the internet, people did personal things on the internet.

"Oh, I'm looking for a place to live actually. I got accepted into college in Seattle this year and I had a place lined up to share with my friends but it kind of fell through at the last moment. So yeah, you probably didn't really want to know all that did you?"

I shrugged, "Do you want half a chocolate muffin?" I had sliced the muffin in half and I offered the other half to her now.

"Sure," we ate in silence for a minute or so.

"I have an apartment in Seattle, you could rent my spare room?"

The beautiful girl giggled, "Um thanks, but no thanks. My father is the chief of police and if I moved in with someone I met in a diner early on a Sunday morning he would probably ground me for life. Then he would track you down and shoot you."

I had to chuckle at that, "Yeah, it's a bit creepy I suppose. Asking you to move in with me straight up, I mean we should probably go on a few dates first."

She rolled her eyes at me and we both laughed. My phone rang and fumbled in my pocket to find it and answer it, it was Alice. I didn't bother with any greetings, I could tell just by holding the phone what she wanted. Our connection was like that. I hit the answer button.

"I'm on my way princess, see you soon." I shook my head smiling as I put my phone back in my pocket, Alice was a bundle of nervous energy and she couldn't wait for me to arrive. I had been right to stop for coffee and chocolate.

I looked across at the girl apologetically, "I've got to get going, I'm helping someone move today but if you want to go on that date when you're in Seattle..."

She smiled up at me with a hint of mischief, she was gorgeous and I desperately wanted to see her again.

"Well I suppose that if by some chance twist of fate we end up meeting in Seattle, then sure, I'll go on a date with you."

"Can I get your number?"

"That would be messing with fate." Oh she couldn't be serious. The university campus was huge, if I relied on fate I may never see her. I had visions of me becoming a stalker, and I didn't like them.

"Can I at least get your name?"

"Uh uh, let's see what fate has in mind," I scowled, I know it was unbecoming but I really couldn't leave this up to fate.

"I see you all the time in my dreams, you look different today though, it's nice." Her words floored me.

She closed her laptop and slipped it into her backpack, "I need to get going now too, see you round Mystery Diner Guy," she giggled and slipped past me and out the door of the diner. I watched her start her ancient red truck and drive off down the highway before I shook my head clear and headed out to help Alice.

**A/N: Good, bad or indifferent? Let me know...I love Edward's POV *sighs happily* how does everyone else feel about it?**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Shuffling

Alice met me at the gate and I stopped the truck and waited for her to jump up, "A little impatient today are we princess?"

She poked her tongue out at me, "We don't all have time to chat up mystery girls at diners," I grinned at how she huffed and folded her arms, pretending to be annoyed with me.

"Did you know her?" I was suddenly excited about tricking fate, perhaps Alice would recognise the girl and know her name.

"You didn't look at her once! I mean, give me something to work with here Edward, all I'm getting is how you felt. Not exactly useful and not exactly what I want to be seeing anyway," she pouted at me. That was odd, I'd been looking right at the girl, in fact, I'd never looked away. She was gorgeous. Our supernatural talents weren't fool proof and this had happened before, we called them gaps. This was a most inconvenient time for a gap though.

"Anyway, enough about your love life, I need to ask you a huge favour," Alice drew in a deep breath before continuing and I started to worry. More than that, I started to search through her mind before she had a chance to continue. "It's about your spare room, would you ever consider renting it out? I mean, you've lived there by yourself for two years already but there's plenty of room for another person don't you think?"

Yes, I did think that. Well I hadn't ever thought that until this morning when I had offered the room for rent, but now that I had opened that door, I supposed, there was enough room for two.

"Alice, what are you getting at?"

"It's just that I have a friend who really needs to rent a room and she's on a massively tight budget right now and I thought that maybe as a favour to me you could rent your room to her for $50 a week? Including expenses?"

"WHAT! Alice are you crazy? Even just a room is worth at least $150 a week in that apartment, I mean, I know maths isn't your strong point but, seriously?"

She sighed, "Edward, I know that it's worth more. Believe me, I do. This would be a huge favour because otherwise I would have to rent out our spare room and well, Jasper and I kind of want our privacy, you know?"

"Yeah so you want me to babysit your little friend so that you two can fuck like rabbits? Alice that's a huge favour and you know it."

"Please Edward? She's a really good friend of mine, and I'll love you forever and ever?"

I grumbled, "You already love me forever."

"Forever and ever?"

"Can I think about it?"

"Nope. I need to know now so that I can call her."

I threw my hands in the air and thumped them back down on the steering wheel of the truck, inadvertently beeping the horn.

"Fine."

The cab of the truck was filled with Alice's squealing, "I love you big brother, thank you so much!"

I grumbled again, "You owe me big time."

"I sure do."

I couldn't believe that I had gone from living happily alone to offering my apartment to a stranger to agreeing to have one of Alice's little school friends live with me for dirt cheap rent all in one morning! The morning was as busy as I had expected, we weren't ready to leave until three in the afternoon and I was dog-tired by then. By ten Sunday night Jasper and I had managed to move everything from the truck into their apartment, but Alice wasn't satisfied until all of the furniture was in the correct position. I ended up crashing on their sofa around three in the morning before being woken at four-thirty by my little sisters orgasmic screams coming from the bedroom. I groaned loudly and rolled off the sofa, climbing the three flights of stairs to what I liked to joke was my penthouse apartment. I didn't need to listen to ANY more of that, ever.

I crawled into my own bed and closed my eyes, regretting it almost immediately. A woman with fiery red hair and bright green eyes fills the room with fear. I am Alice in the dream and I cower underneath a desk, we are in a classroom. I am scared for my twin brother, James, he is who the woman is focused on. He stands frozen in fear at the front of the room, facing the class. All of the other children are hiding under desks too, except one. A brave girl with deep brown eyes and thick brown hair creeps forward towards James, I am scared for her too, she is my best friend. She is crying silently, her pale arms shake with fear but she creeps closer to James and the woman anyway. The flame haired woman has a gun and she's holding it to James' temple, he has his eyes closed. The beautiful girl has a scalpel, like the standard issue biology ones, and she grips it as though it will be what saves us all. The woman announces that she will be killing us all, one by one, and that James is first. The beautiful girl has managed to sneak behind the woman and I close my eyes, I can't watch. I hear a gunshot and open my eyes to see my friend plunge the scalpel deep into the woman's neck. I watch her face as she twists the scalpel around in the woman's neck, she is scared. I see her face in full for the first time ever and she is the girl from the diner, only younger. I gasp and wake up, covered in sweat and shaking uncontrollably.

My phone starts ringing and I reach out of bed to grab it out of the pocket of the jeans I wore yesterday. I don't recognise the number.

"Hello, Edward here."

"Um hi, I'm Bella, Alice's friend?" she asks it like a question and I groan silently, I forgot. This must be the girl who's renting my bargain room. It's barely eight in the morning and I've just woken from a nightmare, I don't really need this right now.

"Yeah so when were you wanting to move in?" I decided on the direct approach, with a bit of luck this girl would be able to think for herself and wouldn't need too much babysitting.

"Is today okay? I mean, I'm packed and everything and I need to organise my text books on campus."

"Yeah whatever, did Alice give you the address?"

"Yes, and well, thank you, for the room."

"No worries."

I snapped my phone shut and made my way groggily to the shower, every muscle in my body ached from helping Alice shift furniture yesterday. I let the hot water run over my arms and back, soothing the aches and pains away. The water pressure in my shower was great, if there was one thing I really enjoyed, it was a nice long shower with great water pressure. I shampooed my hair and wondered what it would be like to have a girlfriend to rub my back when it was sore, to shower with and to shampoo my hair. I wondered what it would be like to have a girlfriend like the girl from the diner, I imagined her in the shower with me and my cock started to twitch, encouraged by my imagination. I had noticed her great body as she'd run to her truck, she was slight but strong somehow, her arse had swayed as she'd run and I decided that if I was going to be remembering this anyway then I might as well enjoy it. I grasped my cock which was now rock hard anyway and started to rub it gently, imagining that the diner girl was in the shower with me and that her delicious lips were the water droplets that were running down my body. I circled my tip with my thumb, pretending it was the mystery girl's fingers, she was naked in front of me and her nipples were hard. She stood and pressed her body up against mine, using her hands to relieve my own she worked me expertly. My breathing was hot and heavy as I leaned against the shower wall and felt my balls contract pleasurably before I spurted hot cum over the shower drain. I rinsed the shower carefully, I would have a flatmate by tonight and I didn't need any evidence of my fantasies around the place. I wondered how long it would be before I saw my mystery girl again, I was sure fate had plans for us.

Thoughts of a flatmate distracted me slightly, I didn't exactly have an empty room at the moment and I would need one by tonight. My apartment had three rooms, the master room which I used as my bedroom; the music room which had my guitar, keyboard and drums in it and opened into the two way bathroom with the master room; and the third bedroom which I used as a study. The music room already had a king single bed in it for when Alice stayed over and I guessed that it would now become my room. Any friend of Alice's was bound to own a million clothes and shoes and she would need the walk-in-robe in the master bedroom. I was a bit irritated about having to give up my large room but I couldn't expect my new flatmate to bunk with my musical instruments so it really was the only option. I spent the morning moving my clothes from the master room to the small built in closet in the music room. I was interrupted only once, by Jasper when he brought up fresh coffee and collected the keys to the removalist truck to return it. He didn't stay long and I guessed that was because of the early morning wake-up I had received in their apartment, yeah, I'd probably be a bit embarrassed too if it had been me.

By lunch I had completely emptied the master bedroom apart from furniture, and I'd even cleared out half of the storage room in the bathroom. I was proud of my efforts, especially considering how sore I was. I made a sandwich for lunch and took it downstairs with a bottle of soda, there is a great shared area for tenants with barbeques, picnic tables and a large kidney shaped swimming pool. I sat at a picnic table which gave me a great view of the car park, I expected that Bella would be here any minute now if she'd left Forks after she'd phoned me. I had no idea what she looked like or what type of car she drove but I figured I'd work it out when the time came. I ate my sandwich slowly, tossing bits of bread crust to the birds that had gathered around the picnic table where I sat. It was warm in the sun and I was surprised when the sound of an engine backfiring woke me, I hadn't realised I'd fallen asleep.

I stretched before checking the car park for the offending vehicle, surprised when I saw a familiar red rust bucket, surely there couldn't be two of those trucks on the road? It had to be my mystery diner girl. I smiled as my fantasy from this morning slipped out of the drivers' seat, she was wearing a cute sundress that showed off her perfect shoulders and highlighted just how delicious her breasts were. My cock twitched again and I shook my head to clear my thoughts before turning my attention to exactly what my dream girl was doing in my car park. She pulled her phone from her bag and dialled a number she had written on a sticky note. I grinned, she obviously wasn't visiting friends here if she didn't even know their number. My mobile rang and startled me out of my thoughts.

"Hello Edward here."

"Hi Edward, it's Bella, your new flatmate?" My jaw dropped to the ground as she spun around to the direction my voice had come from and I dropped my phone.

**A/N: Okay, so who DIDN'T see that coming **** Thank you all for reading, I have just finished writing chapter 9 and it is HOT. Anyway, please review because it does motivate me to update my stories before I've finished my real work, which can only benefit you guys. I'm stuck for names for the rest of my chapters so it's going to get a bit random but hey, my (Australian) government can't even decide who won the election and it's been weeks – makes my indecisiveness look petty hey?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Dammit, Labor got in by one seat. What is with that? Traitor politicians. I've been too mad about the election results to update but I'm slowly accepting the fact that our economy is screwed for at least another four years. To all my readers who live in countries where you don't have the opportunity to vote, do you have a spare bed? I might be moving in with you to save myself extra frustration.**

Chapter 3 - Solved

"Mystery Diner Guy? You're Alice's brother?" obviously she was as shocked as I was. I could only nod as I made my way over to her truck. She seemed thoughtful, "Well that explains it then," she seemed relieved somehow.

"Uh, I thought you might need a hand with your stuff?" I looked in the back of her truck, surprised to see only one suitcase and one cardboard box. Bella shrugged.

"I don't have much, but sure, I'll take the box if you'll take the bag?" I nodded and hoisted both items out of the tray. Bella swung her backpack over her shoulder and locked her truck before taking the box from my arms.

"Can I park here?"

I thought about it for a second, "Does your truck always backfire like that?"

"Sometimes, well pretty much always I guess. Was it really loud?"

"Yeah, maybe you could park around the back, it's closest to Alice and Jasper around there and they won't lodge any complaints if they know it's you." She nodded, "It's okay though, we'll move it later, it's fine there for now."

We walked to the building in silence, I held the door open for her and she smiled as she entered. "Wow, it's nice here. I, um, I guess Alice misled me?"

I chuckled, "Yeah, for $50 a week I guess you could be forgiven for thinking it would be a slum. We are on the top level though so you could knock a few bucks off for that."

"There's no elevator?"

"Yeah, I just don't use it much, small spaces and stuff. Oh, I don't know. I used it yesterday moving Alice's furniture. C'mon, let's take the elevator." I realised I'd been talking mostly to myself when she smiled and shook her head. Inside the elevator I remembered back to when I'd decided that it was faster to climb the stairs, we crawled painfully up the levels to my apartment.

"So is your Dad still going to hunt me down and shoot me?"

Bella laughed, "Probably not since you're my best friend's brother. Dad really likes Dr Cullen, he was surprised to learn that he had an older son, but he said it sounded like a good option. Alice could get Dad to agree to anything."

I smiled, "Yeah, I know how that feels. I've got a flatmate after two years alone because she bugged me."

Bella play punched my arm, "Not true. You offered me this room in the diner!"

I spluttered, "For more than $50 though!"

Bella blushed a deep red, "I can pay you more if you want? Or find another place?"

"No don't worry about it, I was joking. I'm glad it's you, really. I mean, I was expecting a lot worse."

She raised her eyebrows at me, "Oh I can be bad."

I grinned, "I'm sure you can be."

We finally reached my floor and I led the way to my door, there were only four apartments on my level so it was relatively peaceful. I was the last one. I unlocked the door and pushed it open, holding it open from the inside.

"Welcome home."

Bella smiled and walked in, my eyes were drawn instantly to her arse as she swayed by me. I quickly corrected my vision before she turned around and caught me.

"Your room is through this way," I pushed open her bedroom door and waited for her to enter after me before hauling her suitcase up onto the bed for her. "I cleared out a few shelves in the bathroom for you too, uh, let me know if you need a hand to unpack?"

"The master bedroom? Edward are you serious?"

"Well I figured that Alice's best friend would come with a wardrobe that would make Barbie blush, I thought you'd need the wardrobe space."

"Um, thanks but it's okay, I don't need the space, like if you want to swap me."

"Uh huh, you move in less than two minutes ago and you're complaining about the accommodation?" I teased her gently and she laughed and sat on the bed, I sat beside her.

"So fate huh?" I mused as she play punched me again and I leaned over and tickled her, she squealed and squirmed out of my reach.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"

"I don't date flatmates." I coughed back a laugh at her response.

"Fine, you're being evicted. Pack your bags and leave."

Bella pouted adorably, "I'll tell Alice," she threatened and I cowered in mock horror.

"Oh please no, not Alice. We'll have to go to dinner as flatmates then, celebrate you finding a place to live and all."

"Well you see, it's a bit like this. I can't afford to go to dinner with you as flatmates, and if you pay then it's a date so I really just can't." She shrugged. I couldn't believe this girl, how hard was it to just agree to a date.

"Fine. I will be in my room if you need me," I was struggling to hide my annoyance. I decided to make a lot of noise instead. I sat at my drum kit and banged away, well by banged I mean I was actually producing quite audibly pleasing noises, music to be accurate, but it was angry music. Frustrated music, to match my mood, and it was loud. So loud that I didn't hear the knocking on the door and I dropped my drumsticks in surprise when I realised I had a large audience.

"Oh keep going Eddie, that was good!" Tanya cooed.

Emmett grinned and pushed into my room, "Can I have a turn?"

"Emmett it's not a toy!" his girlfriend Rosalie chided. Alice and Jasper ducked their heads into the room also.

"Hmm, crowded in here," Alice glanced around my new room and I could tell she was planning its next makeover.

"We're going down to the Sports Club for dinner, we just wanted to check that Bella got here safe and see if she wanted to come too."

"Uh huh, so what about you guys?" I looked over at Emmett, Rosalie and Tanya.

Rosalie smiled at Alice and I, "Sure, I always wanted to meet Edward's little sister. Let's all go."

I hoped that Tanya was over her thing for me, she had been quite persistent a few months ago but she'd left me alone lately. I shooed everyone out of my room and changed into a new pair of jeans and a collared shirt and sports jacket. The evenings were cooling off and it was a sharp reminder that Summer was ending.

Bella and I both entered our shared bathroom at the same time and I smiled appreciatively at her outfit, jeans and tailored cotton blouse. I grabbed my comb and tried to set my hair in order, she did the same with her hairbrush. I brushed my teeth quickly and smiled as she did the same.

"Make up?" I asked her.

"You wear make up?" she asked back.

We both laughed, "uh uh, just lip gloss tonight I think. You want some?" I shook my head and chuckled. We came out of our respective bedroom doors roughly a minute later, ready for the short walk to the Sports Club for dinner.

I smiled at Bella and Alice, dancing together at the front of our crowd. They were so in sync that they could be sisters, Bella was only slightly taller than Alice and she wore lace-up boating shoes tonight, making Alice her equal in height because of her ridiculous heels. I sighed, I loved them both. There was something about Bella that drew me in, I wanted to get to know everything about her.

At the Sports Club Alice pulled me aside, "Okay, since when." I cringed at her accusation.

"Since Sunday morning in the diner," I saw her mouth form a perfect 'o' as she realised that Bella was my mystery woman.

She shook her head, "It's not going to work for you, it won't be easy." My head snapped up and I looked Alice in the eyes.

"What do you mean? It's not going to work or it's not going to be easy? Which one? Because if it's not going to be easy then okay I can live with that...but..."

"Hey stop squeezing me," she hissed, "We're in public! Hang on, I'll try and see."

Eventually she opened her eyes and sighed, "It's not going to be easy."

I looked over to where Bella sat laughing with Emmett at something only they could see, "Well if it's not going to be easy then I guess I should try a bit harder?"

Alice smiled and shook her head, "Careful with her, she's delicate."

I took that to be Alice's blessing to try and court her best friend and I grinned widely. It didn't matter how long it took, I was going to win her heart.

I returned to our table a few minutes later with drinks to find Tanya inviting Bella, Alice and Jasper to the first of many underage drinking parties this year. The first few weeks before school started were usually the worst. I was a med student and while I enjoyed a few quiet drinks myself, it worried me that people would drink themselves into a drunken stupor at these parties. Tanya of all people should be wary, she had ended up pregnant after one of these parties in her second year, she hadn't even remembered having sex. I had held her hand at the abortion clinic and been egged as we left, I remember the mess it made of her life that year and I didn't want my sister mixed up in that. I hoped that Jasper would be a positive influence or at least stay glued to her side all night.

By the time we finished eating Bella and Alice had their hearts set on going to the party. Emmett was trying hard to convince Rosalie to join them, we all laughed when Rosalie leaned in close and whispered something to Emmett, making him instantly change his tune. He wanted an early night now and I could only wonder what sexual gratification Rosalie had offered him. Tanya said she was going and I sighed and counted myself in, not that I wanted to drink, I wanted to make sure the others didn't drink too much. It wasn't my idea of a fun Monday night, but it was what Bella wanted to do and who was I to destroy her college experience?

I relaxed a little when I realised the party was at Mike Newton's place, he was generally able to keep things under control. Tanya split from us as soon as we were through the door, I saw her slipping out the back where the rougher crowd tended to hang out and smoke dope. I shook my head, she was a lost cause that one. I poured beers for Jasper, Alice, Bella and myself and followed them around the party. It was only early, nine-thirty at night, well, early for a party anyway. No one was drunk and disorderly yet.

Two attractive blonde girls ran up to Alice and Bella in their high heels and squealed and hugged them both. Alice squealed and returned the hug, but I noticed Bella wasn't so enthusiastic. The prettiest girl turned to face me, "Who's your friend Alice?"

"Jess, Lauren, this is my brother Edward," I smiled in what I hoped was a friendly manner, "We were all at school together last year, Jess and Lauren are from Forks too!" I nodded at the girls.

"Would you like a drink?" I thought it would be polite to offer since most of these kids had never seen a keg before and had no idea how to pour a decent beer.

"Oh yes please! Thank you so much Edward!"

I glanced around and noticed that Bella's drink was empty, "Another one?" I asked. She nodded and smiled. I hadn't noticed before but it seemed as if Bella was actually quite shy. I moseyed off to the keg and bought back a drink each for the girls, I was actually quite pleased that Alice was still on her first beer – probably because she never stopped chattering. I stood with Jasper, I felt a little self-conscious now that our group had four girls and only two boys. I regretted that thought almost instantly as Tyler and Mike made their way over to us. Mike and Tyler were a year younger than me, but I knew them well. In fact, I had often wondered if Mike had been the mystery father of Tanya's baby problem last year. It wasn't that they were bad guys, they were just typical college guys – getting drunk and having a good time on their parent's money. I smiled and returned their high fives as they joined our group.

"So Edward, who are these lovely ladies you've bought along?" Mike smiled at Bella and I stiffened.

"Mike, Tyler, this is my sister Alice, my flatmate Bella and their friends Lauren and Jess." I pointed each person out as I made my way around the small circle. Jasper coughed.

"Oh and this is Jasper, my sister's boyfriend." Mike and Tyler nodded and smiled at Jasper before turning their attention back to the girls.

"So do you lovely ladies have boyfriends," I shook my head and laughed quietly at the horrible excuse for a pick up line. It was working on Lauren and Jess but it was only making Bella drink faster. I glanced at my watch, we'd only been here half an hour and she'd almost finished her second beer, I was still on my first. I wondered if she drank a lot or if this was going to lead to late night spewing, I figured as her flatmate I would find that one out first hand later.

The night wore on and everyone except me became pleasantly inebriated. I just couldn't bring myself to drink heavily. I switched to water after my first beer of the night. At midnight I left Bella to find the bathroom, both Lauren and Jess were with her and giggling wildly and Tyler's antics. It seemed he was the man of the night. Jasper and Alice had snuck off early and I tried not to think about what they could be up to. I returned to the den where Tyler and Mike were giving the girls a very bad gangsta impersonation show to an old Eminem track. I couldn't help but laugh as they made fools of themselves, I stopped laughing when I realised that Bella wasn't having fun. In fact she was looking decidedly nervous, shaking and sweating, I moved so that I was standing directly behind her.

"Are you okay Bella?"

"What, oh um, yeah I'm okay," she seemed distracted but I didn't mind because she leant against me and let me wrap my arm around her. I tried to work out what was bothering her by following her line of sight. She had her eyes fixed on the gun on the coffee table that the boys were using as a prop, I had seen it a million times, it was a very good copy of a famous gun from a James Bond movie. It was a collector's item, but it was a toy nonetheless, not a working gun. I rubbed Bella's arm and whispered in her ear that it was a toy gun, a collector's item, and she relaxed visibly in my arms.

Tyler progressed with his show and held the gun to Mike's temple, Bella screamed and ran out of the room, stumbling the entire way. I caught up with her easily and helped her out of the front door and onto the lawn, she was shaking and crying and holding herself tight. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and started to guide her towards home, she didn't seem aware of where we were going, it was like she was caught in another world. It eerily reminded me of the times I had seen Alice have her visions.

When we were safely back in my apartment I sat Bella on the sofa and poured her a glass of water. Her eyes were glazed but they seemed to clear and focus on me as I passed her the glass of water, I sat next to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pleased when she leaned into me.

"Are we dead?"

Wait what? What type of question was that? I placed my hand on her forehead to check her temperature, maybe she was delirious?

"No, we're not dead at all. I think you are a bit drunk though?"

"Mm hmm, maybe. You're going to be gone when I wake up though."

I shook my head, "No I'm not."

"Okay, well can you at least sleep in my bed tonight?"

I was confused, very confused. She wouldn't date me but she wanted me to sleep in her bed? Obviously she was drunk, I could never take advantage of that!

"How about we stay on the sofa?"

"Okay. That sounds good."

I grabbed my spare blanket and a pillow before stretching out over the sofa, Bella curled herself comfortably over my chest and I smiled at how perfectly she fit there. I stroked her hair softly until she was soundly asleep. What an odd night, I sighed and closed my eyes.

**A/N: Isn't it odd how everyone can add this story for new chapter alerts but no one can leave a review? Well, if you all want to keep reading then I guess I've done something right. Thanks for following!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much for the first reviews! Much appreciated. I will try and update as fast as possible without getting ahead of myself as long as you try to leave reviews...**

Chapter 4 – Identities

I woke up on the sofa in the morning and wondered how I hadn't managed to get myself into my own bed. I stretched out and stood up before noticing Bella's shoes by the door. Bella. Where was she? She'd slept with me on the sofa, perhaps she'd woken and gone back to her room? I knocked on the door of her room softly but there was no response. I used the bathroom and noticed that the adjoining door to Bella's room was open, it wouldn't hurt to peek. Nope, she wasn't in her room. Weird, I hoped she was okay. I debated whether or not it would be creepy to phone her when my own phone rang.

"Hey princess, how was your night?"

"It was great, but I actually phoned about Bella."

"Uh yeah, do you know where she is?"

"Yes she's having breakfast in my apartment. Apparently she had some, um, issues last night, and she's a bit embarrassed."

"Oh, well, she didn't do anything. I mean she was a bit drunk and she asked me to sleep in her room with her but I said no..."

"It's not that Edward. I think we need to talk."

I gulped, "Okay, do you want me to come down?"

"No, I'll come up."

I washed my face and brushed my hair and teeth, what on earth could be wrong? I slipped the door to Bella's room closed and put the kettle on. I needed coffee. Alice let herself in and glanced worriedly at me.

"Oh come on Alice, the suspense is killing me! What have I done wrong?"

"It's not like that Edward, you haven't done anything wrong. It's Bella, she's uh, she's just not ready for you and she's a bit embarrassed about last night. I need to explain it to you before she comes home okay?"

I nodded, of course it was okay. Alice sat on my sofa and motioned for me to sit next to her, I took my coffee and placed it on the coffee table in front of us. I turned to Alice and sat cross legged facing her on the sofa and matching her pose.

"Concentrate on me Edward, I'm going to think about things that you need to know. Here, hold my hands."

"Are they visions?" Alice hesitated before she grabbed my hands.

"No Edward, they're memories. My memories." I nodded and closed my eyes.

_Bella was in Alice's dining room gripping a mug of coffee tightly. "I feel so stupid Alice, I let it go too far. I was just so confused..." she was sobbing. Alice was comforting her. "They look so much alike, I was drunk and mixed up and I really thought he was back" Bella was choking on her tears._

"_It's okay Bella, he'll understand. It's not your fault, besides this is the first time it's happened right? So I'll just explain everything to him today and he'll know from now on."_

_Bella shook her head, "No, it happened in the diner. I thought it was him, I gave him some fate bullshit because I knew it wasn't real. But it was real. I feel like such an arse Alice. I've led him on and I truly didn't mean to! I'm just not ready, I'm not over it. I don't know if I ever will be."_

"_He'll understand Bella, we all loved James, he will understand when he knows and he'll still want to be your friend."_

_Bella cried softly, "It was the gun, Tyler's gun. I forgot where I was, it was like we were there all over again but this time I thought I must have died too..." Bella continued sobbing._

I opened my eyes, "She thought I was James?"

Alice nodded, "Yeah, she was James' girlfriend before...anyway, I know it's been four years but I don't think she's ever dealt with it. And you remind her of him."

I took a deep breath, she had thought I was James last night. It wasn't me she wanted in her room, it was James. Of course. She was the girl who had made me cry at the funeral, the one with the single white rose. She was the girl in my dreams, the one with the scalpel.

"Alice, uh, was Bella in the classroom when..."

"Yes."

"And did she attack the woman to save James?"

"How did you...?"

I shook my head, I didn't want to talk about it anymore. It all made sense to me now. I looked up and saw Bella in the doorway, looking apprehensive. I beckoned her over to the sofa and Alice spun around and smiled at her.

"Hey Bells, I told him, he's fine see. I told you he would be."

I smiled at Bella and pulled her down in between Alice and I on the sofa, we both hugged her tight.

"So you're not mad at me?"

I laughed, "No, not at all."

"For leading you on I mean."

"Bella, you hardly led me on. I mean, you drank half a glass of water and crashed on the sofa."

"Oh, I guess I dreamed the rest," Alice laughed and hugged her.

"I'd better get back to Jasper, call me if you need me!" Alice skipped out of the room leaving Bella and I on the sofa.

"So do you want to get those textbooks today? I've got to do a bit of shopping anyway and we probably should pick up some groceries. I mean, I've never had a flatmate but you should get some say in that right?"

Bella laughed, "Sure, I could even cook you dinner tonight if you want?"

I grinned, "Sounds good. So do you want the bathroom first?" Bella nodded and slipped into her room. I packed away the spare blanket and pillow and went to my room, belly flopping on my bed and face planting my pillow. Well, at the very least, she found me attractive, even if she did confuse me with my dead half-brother.

Half an hour later we were on our way to the city in my car. Bella had laughed and then teased me for driving a Volvo, I had teased her about her rust bucket and she'd play punched me which had led to a short tickling match. She was adorable and cute and funny and everything I had ever wanted. I smiled as I drove into town and stole glances at her the entire way. We had similar tastes in music and she had raided my iPod for today's driving music. Muse's Uprising was playing right now, I couldn't argue with that.

We did textbooks first, I realised that I had never asked Bella what she was studying, and I almost fainted in shock when I realised she was studying pharmacy. Most of her units were similar to what I had done for medicine and I offered her my old school text books to borrow for most units. It cut her booklist in half and I noticed the relief on her face when she paid the account. Who would have thought that she was a brilliant chemist too? Every new thing I discovered about Bella only made me love her more.

I pulled in at IKEA next, it was my favourite furniture store, everything came flat packed so I got to feel masculine putting it together plus it was easy to get it up to my apartment. I was hoping they would have a study desk the same as the one I bought two years ago...I knew I was pushing my luck but sometimes they stocked the same range for ages. I was wondering how big of a deal it would be if Bella's desk didn't match mine when Bella tapped me on the shoulder.

"Sorry, I mean, I know you're the driver and everything, but what do we need at IKEA?"

I grinned, "Don't apologise! I should have explained, anyway, I need another desk for the study and since you're cooking tonight, well, um, you might actually want some utensils?"

Bella laughed and her tinkling laughter touched my soul, wow I had fallen for her hard. I reached out for her hand and held it close as we entered the store. I don't know why, but she didn't pull away and I couldn't help but think as we shopped for kitchen utensils that we must look like an ordinary couple. I humoured her every consideration, do we need a salad spinner? Well I don't know, I certainly don't own one. What are the benefits of a spun salad? Oh, less germs? Less pesticides? Okay, so if you think it's a good idea, oh hang on, it costs two dollars. Let me consult my budget, yep, okay you can put that in the basket. We had a great time shopping, laughing the entire time and Bella didn't even attempt to make a scene as I paid, which I was thankful for. I knew she was on a tight budget, Alice had told me that much, and I had always intended to buy this type of thing, I'd just never had a woman to show me what I needed. I grinned as I realised how sexist I sounded. So living with a female might make my life better? Why should that be a bad thing?

We made our way to the supermarket next, my car was already mostly full, it would take us several trips to get everything up to the apartment as it was. I grabbed a shopping trolley and grinned when Bella slung her bag casually into the child seat of the trolley. It was just so easy with her.

"Do you like fish?" I came back to the present, Bella was standing in front of the deli.

"Uh huh," I stared at her arse as she ordered two salmon steaks. I didn't even know how to cook salmon, a hazard of growing up in a boarding school I supposed. I mean, I could boil an egg and make spaghetti bolognaise from scratch if I had too, but in terms of variety, I was limited. Bella would be good for me.

Our taste in breakfast cereal was identical and I laughed when Bella threw in a few boxes of pop-tarts, just for good measure.

"How often do we grocery shop?" she was asking a serious question. I didn't know the answer, I only shopped for myself. Sometimes I went as long as a month without shopping, what was normal?

"Um, each fortnight, or whenever we're hungry?" I tried to convey that I was new at this. I didn't have a routine, but she was more than welcome to instigate one. Things got awkward at the feminine hygiene aisle. Yes, I knew she needed this stuff, but I didn't know what. I mean, am I supposed to ignore what is put in the trolley? Or should I just feign nonchalance? What is polite? I went with nonchalance, okay, two boxes of 16's regular tampons. I shouldn't have noticed that. I blushed. We were in front of the condoms and personal lubricant now, why on earth were we stopped?

"Do you need anything?" Oh god she was serious, I blushed bright red and threw a mixed variety box of condoms into the trolley, coughing to hide my nervousness. I didn't even know how to put a condom on, shit, what if she did this every week? I would have a huge stash building up...I took a deep breath and kept moving. It would be okay, I would demonstrate my lack of need for the product sitting offensively on top of our groceries and then she would understand why I didn't need them next trip. Good plan Edward. I patted myself on the back.

In the dairy section I watched amused as she removed my butter selection and replaced it with low-fat margarine. She did the same with my yoghurt and milk selections, I had to intervene when she removed my chocolate dairy snacks completely though – that was my treat!

"It's not very good for you, I could bake you muffins that would taste just as good with half of the fat of sugar."

I considered her offer, "Deal" I said.

"What?"

"You can bake the muffins and I'll put the chocolate dairy snack back on the shelf."

Bella smiled and shook her head, "okay, but we'll have to go back to the baking section for a second."

I nodded, that was fine. I wasn't in any type of hurry. We finished the trip with what seemed like a quite healthy selection of foods.

"Do you want a magazine?" I indicated to the selection available at the registers, "I always get a Men's Fitness, so it's only fair if you want one."

Bella thought about this before perusing the options available. I smiled as I watched her thinking, I always bought Alice subscriptions to every fashion magazine on the market for her birthday, I even bought her a special French edition which was obviously in a language she didn't understand. She said she loved it more because pictures speak louder than words. Bella chose a cooking magazine and I flipped through it idly as we waited in line to pay for our purchases. Hmm, if she knew how to make these recipes then I was in for a real treat. I saw a recipe for vegetarian lasagne.

"Hey Bella, do you know how to make this?" I handed her the magazine.

"Uh huh, yeah we've got most of that in the trolley. I'll just go back and grab some eggplant." I smiled widely as she hurried off to the green grocers section. Awesome, I was the luckiest man in the world.

It took four trips from the car to the apartment to get all of our purchases unpacked. Bella took over packing away the groceries and she put all of our new kitchen utensils through a cycle on the dishwasher. I took the desk to the study and worked on getting it put together, it was challenging, I had to admit that putting things together really wasn't my strong point, but I enjoyed trying and that was all that mattered right?

By the time I was done there were delicious scents emanating from our kitchen, Bella had made us mini pizza's for lunch and I tucked in greedily, no one ever cooked for me. Bella sat up on the kitchen bench and I sat on a bar stool on the other side of the breakfast bar.

"So do you want to set up your office this afternoon or do you want me to show you around?" I offered both options, completely intending to be involved in the office set up if that was her intention.

"Uh, well I'd love to see around the place but I probably should send off some job applications. I guess setting up the office would be good."

"Mm, about that Bella, what exactly is your budget?"

She blushed, "Well Dad is paying my rent, $50 a week right? Then I have my savings for food and textbooks but I really need a job soon, I mean my savings won't last forever and I know that."

I nodded, "We have a vacancy for a lab technician at our hospital? It's part-time and it pays well, I'll find you an application if you want?"

"Sure, that'd be great."

"Okay, so lasagne for dinner?"

**A/N: So I know I said that chapter 9 was hot right? Well I've had to re-edit it because it was too hot even for me and I don't think they would have done that...yet. I'm keeping everything I wrote, It'll just come later in the story. R&R.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, favourite adds and update adds. I feel special now *big smile* I wish I had more hours in my day to dedicate to this, but I don't. Please continue to review because if you start to get bored I can re-edit coming chapters for you.**

Chapter 5 - Tears

The school year started before we knew it and my work load was enormous, I had always chosen to do six units per semester instead of the usual four. I wanted a dual degree and since my social life was rather limited, I had been able to keep up easily. This year was harder, I spent more hours at the hospital simply because they were understaffed, not that I minded, each hour counted towards my graduation and it was all experience. Bella had got the job at the hospital and we often carpooled home together.

Our routine during the week was easy and I enjoyed it immensely. I had never been a morning person but Bella woke up at five each morning for a jog and after only a few days, I found myself joining her. I actually enjoyed the exercise, it was obviously good for me, but it was Bella's company that I enjoyed most. We would jog to a nearby park and use the play equipment for strength training before jogging home again, it was only forty minutes but it was a great way to start the day, plus, I was losing weight and toning up.

We took it in turns to have the first shower each morning, the person left waiting would pack lunches for the day and the other person would cook breakfast. We always ate breakfast together. We'd leave the house around eight and not see each other again until at least six that night, unless it was a work day for Bella, and then I'd see her at the hospital and we'd eat lunch together too. In short, my life revolved around study and Bella, and I loved it.

Weekends were harder though. It bugged me if I was studying and Bella was out socialising, not because I didn't want her to have fun, but because I wanted to be there too. Often I was invited, but I always politely declined, I needed to study to remain at the top of my class. I was thankful when the first semester was nearing its end and Bella needed to stay home and study on weekends too. I always made myself available to help her with study if she asked, after all, I'd already done most of those units.

After my last exam for the semester I came home to find Bella on the floor in my bedroom crying, I rushed to her side immediately and pulled her up onto the bed with me.

"What's up Bella? Are you okay?"

She sniffled and nodded. Yeah right, if she was okay she wouldn't be in my bedroom crying.

"Was it your exam? Did you have a hard time? Which one was it, we can apply for you to re-sit it, it'll be okay." I was rubbing small circles on her lower back and holding her close, she seemed to be calming down somewhat.

"No it wasn't the exam, it was just something stupid. I don't even know why I'm crying really, I'm sorry I worried you, I think I'll just go and have a shower now." She went to stand and I pulled her back closer.

"Bella don't be silly, you can tell me what's wrong. Or at least you could let me cheer you up, we're finished exams now, we should be celebrating."

"I'm not really in the mood for fun."

"Bella," I hesitated slightly before asking anyway, "Is it James?"

She nodded and I held her close to my chest and let her cry, it was hard to decipher her words in amongst her tears and the fact that her voice was muffled by my shirt, but the gist of it was that there had been a school shooting in the news and it had reminded her of the day James was shot. I could understand that, I mean, I have the same dream night after night and I wasn't even there. I couldn't begin to imagine what images haunted Bella.

"Hey, I have an idea." Bella stopped crying, she had the hiccups now and I offered her the box of tissues I kept by my bed. "How about you have a shower and I'll organise something nice for dinner and then you can tell me all about the happy times you had with James."

Bella shook her head, "Why would you even want to listen to that?"

"Well he was my brother, and I never knew him very well. It would be nice to know he had a few good times before he died, and I'd kind of be getting to know him better."

She nodded thoughtfully, "I wouldn't even know where to start..." I grinned, I would. I had a plan. I stood and pulled Bella up with me.

"Go and have a shower, take your time because I need to organise a few things."

Bella offered me a small smile, "Okay, thank you."

I watched her walk into the bathroom from my bedroom then I grabbed the home delivery menus that we kept on top of the fridge. Hmm, Thai sounded good. It was the most expensive and we didn't order it much because Bella insisted on paying half and it was beyond what she could afford. I was pretty sure she would let me buy her dinner tonight. I ordered more than we could possibly eat so that we would have leftovers and then headed to the built in closet in the study.

This was where I kept my memories, everything that I had deemed worth saving from my life in England. Mostly they were photos and home videos, I'd kept a lot of my mother's jewellery and a box of things she had deemed sentimental. I had only gone through that box once, it had a few of my baby clothes, my favourite toys, my first tooth, my first hair clipping, my mother had adored me and while I didn't need the things in the box, it made me feel loved to look at it. I was searching for the home videos I'd made of my visits to America, where I would spend my Summers with Dad and Esme before I'd fallen out with them when I was ten. I knew that James and Alice would be in most of my videos, I'd been given a camcorder when I was six and that meant I would have catalogued a good part of James' life from when he was four to eight years old. Those are the videos I dug out now. I also had a copy of the recording that had been made for his funeral, many of Esme's relatives hadn't been able to travel from England for the funeral and so Dad had the entire thing recorded and put onto a DVD with the slideshow of photos that had played at his wake. I had found the concept morbid at the time, and I guess I still did, but I'd kept a copy of the DVD anyway.

I set up the TV and got the spare blanket and pillows out, it might be a long night. I was hoping that it would help Bella heal, if only a little bit. I also grabbed two full boxes of tissues, we might be needing them by the end of the night.

Bella came out of her bedroom around the same time that dinner arrived and she made a beeline to the Thai food, inhaling deeply. It made me laugh, she was adorable sometimes, well most times. I started to question my own sanity, should I really be encouraging her to remember my brother when all I really wanted was for her to want me? I grabbed a couple of plates, spoons and chopsticks and set our banquet out on the coffee table, it was too late now, I had to give it a go.

We watched my home videos first, I really had to wonder what she ever saw in James, he was an irritating little shit by all standards. It made me remember exactly why we'd never been close, Alice had clearly been my favourite, even back then. When I switched to the funeral video the photo slide show came up first and I realised just how many of the photos Bella was actually in. In fact, she was in every group shot, there were even a few of Bella and James together, I stole a glance in the dark at Bella and noticed she had tears running down her cheeks. I looked so young in the video, had I really only been 16? It felt like yesterday. I had held Alice during the entire ceremony, her devastation was clear and the videographer had captured the moment that Bella placed her single white rose on the coffin perfectly. I could hear myself crying with Alice in the background, it was making me cry again now, I reached for a tissue and bumped Bella's hand on the way.

"Sorry, you first," she was crying too and I instinctively reached out and pulled her close to me until we were lying on the sofa the same way we had the night she freaked out about Tyler's gun. She was curled into my chest and we were both wiping tears out of our eyes. The DVD ended and I flicked the TV off, we remained lying on the sofa in the dark and I pulled the blanket up over us.

"So what do you miss the most?" I wondered if my question was insensitive.

"You know, I think that the worst part has always been being so close to saving him but just seconds too late, that's what haunts me the most. I could have stopped it."

"Bella you couldn't have done anything more than you did, her finger was on the trigger, even if you had struck first she still might have shot the gun."

Bella sat up suddenly, "How the fuck do you know about that!" She burst into uncontrollable tears and I pulled her down to my chest again and rubbed her arms. I had never heard Bella swear before.

"Edward, stop it, how do you KNOW! No one knows, only Alice saw and she swore on her life not to ever tell anyone!"

"Shit Bella, I didn't mean to upset you. Please calm down?"

"NO! I can't, don't you see...I killed someone, I'm a murderer and James is still dead!"

I held Bella tight to my chest as she struggled to pull away, eventually she stopped struggling and was just crying.

"I hate Alice!"

"Bella! No you don't!"

"Yes I do. She promised never to tell."

"Shh, she didn't tell me, besides, killing someone in self-defence isn't murder!"

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"YES, it is."

"Fine, whatever, you probably didn't even kill her anyway. I mean the bullets would have done a bloody good job on their own."

Bella was shaking, "HOW do you KNOW?"

I sighed, "It's a long story, but I swear Alice didn't tell me. Well not in person anyway. She doesn't know I know."

Bella shook her head, "So Alice doesn't know that you know, but only Alice knew? How the hell do you expect me to believe that?"

"Bella I've never heard you swear so much!"

"You're avoiding the question."

"Okay, if I tell you everything, will you promise to answer a question for me?"

She considered my offer, "Okay."

I started from the beginning, explaining how Alice had visions and how when I concentrated I could see them too. Bella already knew about the visions but she didn't realise I knew too. I explained the dream that I had every night in detail and Bella listened wide-eyed. I knew it was real just by the expression on her face. I had every detail right. I had my own theory that Alice was so profoundly affected by the events of that day that I was somehow able to feel them even from the other side of the world. It had never happened before that day, and it had never happened since. I asked Bella not to tell Alice that I had that dream every night, I didn't make her promise, but I would prefer for Alice not to have to worry about me.

It was a relief to share my deepest secret with someone else, I felt lighter somehow. Bella hugged me and I realised that for the first time since I had known her, she was comforting me. I couldn't help but cry again. Bella offered me a tissue.

"Okay, so what was your question?"

I had so many, which one could I ask? Does she love me? Why hasn't she ever dated anyone else? Did she kiss James? How far did they go? Would she kiss me? I settled for the one that didn't really involve me.

"How far did you and James go? Like with your relationship?" I hoped she would be able to see what I was trying to ask. She had raised her eyebrow so I guessed she knew what I wanted to know.

"Edward, we were fourteen. What do you think?"

"I don't know, that's why I'm asking."

"Why do you want to know?"

"I don't know, I guess it would be nice to know how far my brother got before he died..."

"Edward that's just sick. But since I promised I'd answer, yes, he died a virgin. Technically."

Obviously she'd been offended by my question because she stormed off to her room and closed the door behind her, I sighed and threw myself back down on the sofa. What did that mean, technically? Like had he seen her naked? Had their kisses been closer to passionate make-out sessions than sweet puppy love pecks? Had she pleasured him? Was that the technicality? Oh god, maybe she'd given him head? My cock started to twitch at the thought and I groaned in frustration, I was jealous of my dead brother.

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on happy thoughts. Bella, she is what makes me happy. Pretty soon I fell asleep and had a different type of dream entirely. I was studying late, it was past one in the morning and I was getting ready to call it a night. I heard Bella's bedroom door open and her soft footsteps padding towards the office. Her eyes were still sleepy as she peered into the office, I looked up to see she was wearing only her panties and a t-shirt with no bra underneath. I held my arms out to her and she came and curled into my lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. I kissed her hair gently and she looked up at me, our mouths leaned slowly into each other's just like an exaggerated movie scene. Our kiss was soft and gentle and conveyed everything I felt about her, she deepened it to something more. Pretty soon she was straddling me as I sat in my study chair, my cock was hard as stone and I was copping a great feel of her rack as she pressed her crotch hard up against mine and continued kissing me. I began groaning and thrusting against her, making her rub up against me harder. She threw her head back and tore her t-shirt over her head. I sucked her nipple into my mouth and she pushed against me hard, screaming my name and curling her toes. I came in my pants at the mere sight of her orgasm, the wet in my pants was uncomfortable but I didn't care. I moved to kiss her gently and woke up on the sofa, my pants a mess and my breathing still hard and laboured. Shit, it'd been years since I'd had a wet dream, and they'd never been that good.

I rolled off the sofa and headed to the bathroom to clean up, I checked in on Bella before closing the door that joined her bedroom to our bathroom, she was sleeping soundly. I showered quickly and threw my clothes into the washing machine, starting a load. I didn't want Bella finding any evidence of THAT particular dream. I packed the Thai away in the fridge and sat on the sofa again, I turned the TV on and watched the late foreign language channels mindlessly until I fell asleep again.

**A/N: Reviews?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm renaming this story because I searched for it and there are so many similarly titled stories (When Fate Intervenes) that I couldn't find my own amongst them! I hate not being able to find someone else's story even when I remember the title perfectly so I thought I'd change it while the story is still young. Apologies in advance for any inconvenience.**

Chapter 6 - Family

I woke up late the next morning, "Morning sleepyhead!"

I groaned, "Morning Princess. Is there coffee on?"

Alice giggled and thrust a mug into my hands, "I heard you stirring and got it all ready."

I sat up and took a sip, mm, it was made perfectly. Alice had a talent for coffee making. I rubbed my eyes to get the sleep out of them and glanced around the apartment, Bella and Jasper were sitting at the dining table and Alice was perched on the sofa beside me.

"What's going on guys? Why the early morning meeting?"

"Edward, it's eleven. We're waiting for you silly," Alice hugged me then bounced back to her seat at the table.

"Oh, well um, sorry about that. I didn't realise. Remind me what we're doing today?"

"We're celebrating, our first exams are over!"

"Ah, okay then. So what are we doing to celebrate?" I stood and stretched, walking to the table and taking the last vacant chair, the one next to Bella. We had two weeks before school went back and I hadn't made any plans.

"We're going camping!" Alice squealed enthusiastically. I laughed so hard I snorted coffee through my nose and over the table. Bella and Jasper laughed at me and Bella ran to grab some paper towel.

"Jasper what have you done with my sister! Alice camping?"

Jasper laughed, "It was Bella's idea actually."

I looked over at Bella and she shrugged, "Dad invited me home to go camping with him and his mates from the Res, there'll be other people our age too and it'll be fun."

"Your dad will be there? The chief of police?"

"Uh huh, your dad is coming too apparently. Esme and Sue Clearwater are good friends now, apparently," Bella frowned slightly but let it smooth over instantly.

"Oh, well count me out then. I don't do family holidays."

Bella looked crushed and I immediately regretted being so blunt. I still had no intention of going anywhere where my Dad was but it was Bella's invitation, I could have been nicer about it.

"You WILL be coming with us Edward," Alice glared at me from across the table and I met her stare. I was immediately assaulted with her visions of us camping and it did appear that I was there. I went to look away in defiance and she launched herself across the table and grabbed my face with both of her hands. I saw Bella kissing me hungrily and I melted, Alice was having visions of Bella kissing me? While we were camping? Well then, yes, I suppose I would be willingly attending this camping trip.

Alice had spilled my coffee and Bella was cleaning it up when Alice and I rejoined reality. We must have looked like a right royal freak show.

"Uh, sorry guys, about that..." I stammered.

"It's okay Edward, Jasper knows and you told Bella last night. They're our friends, they understand." I nodded and gulped. I hoped Bella didn't know what it was Alice had seen that made me want to go.

"Okay, so I need to pack?"

"Not really, I did it for you. It was kind of convenient you sleeping on the sofa last night." I smiled at my little sister, lord knows what she packed for me but I could guarantee that it would be at least twice as much as what I would have packed for myself.

"Mm hmm, so how are we getting there, or more importantly, where are we going?"

Bella grinned, "We're going to La Push, it's about an hour outside of Forks and it's great this time of year, not too hot and not too cold. Plus it doesn't rain so much there for some reason. I've got Jake to save us a great spot near the cliffs."

Bella was really excited about this, and if she had convinced Alice to go camping then I suppose there would be more than just camping involved. Alice wasn't likely to give up her modern comforts easily.

"We're taking Emmett's van, he and Rosie will be here any moment," Jasper's eyes lit up at the thought of the road trip and I smiled at how easily my friends had accepted my little sister and her boyfriend. Emmett and Rosalie were great friends to me, we had been in the same classes since my first year and I loved them dearly. Rosie was studying to be a paediatrician and Emmett was, of all things, studying to be a gynaecologist. I still wondered how any woman in their right mind would choose Emmett to deliver their baby, but he had a great bedside manner and he was maturing...slowly. We had different classes now, I was studying to be a general practitioner and a surgeon. I had always had visions of going to third world countries to make a difference in people's lives and I really had to be as well rounded as possible to be of any use in those remote communities. I suddenly wondered if that was something Bella would be interested in? Perhaps she would want to come with me when we graduated? Pharmacists were highly sought after, I glowed happily in my musings as I carried my own and half of Alice's bags downstairs. Jasper had his own and the other half of Alice's bags while Bella carried her one bag over her shoulders and helped Alice with the esky that contained our food for the road trip. I was excited now.

"Hey guys!" Emmett ran up and grabbed both Alice and Bella in a bear hug, making them squeal in delight. I noticed Bella's shorts for the first time and how nicely they accentuated her legs, they were khaki green coloured and she had a caramel coloured t-shirt on that clung delightfully to her curves. I smiled and hugged Rose quickly before helping Jasper load the bags into the back. Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the picnic tables, out of earshot of the others.

"Thanks for doing that last night Edward, that was really sweet of you." I shrugged, a little embarrassed. "Bella told me everything this morning, she's really changed, I had no idea how much she still blamed herself for James' death." Alice reached her hands up and cupped my face for the second time today.

"_He made me realise I'm still a good person Alice," Bella was sipping coffee at our dining table and looking over my sleeping body on the sofa. "I just couldn't bring myself to get close to anyone because one day they would find out I was a murderer and they would hate me for it." Bella blinked tears away and Alice reached out and touched her hand, "Oh Bella, you're a wonderful person. You were so brave to do what you did, no one thinks of you as a murderer, if anything you were our hero. I'm so sorry, I didn't realise you felt that way." Alice rubbed Bella's hand softly. "I thought you didn't date because you weren't over James!" Bella smiled softly at Alice, "No, to be really honest, James was a bit of a prick. I mean, he didn't deserve to die, but he wasn't the best boyfriend." Alice giggled, "Bella! I can't believe you just said that!"_

Alice moved her hands away and I smiled, so Bella wasn't upset with me about my last question. That was a relief, I'd been too worried about what she would say when we were alone to risk being alone with her today, I had the feeling that Bella could be quite scary when she wanted to be.

"C'mon you two! In the bus!" Emmett yelled out to us and I raced Alice back to the bus.

"Alice you squeeze in the back next to Bella and the bags because you're the tiniest," Emmett ordered.

"No way Em, I'm not doing a four hour road-trip in the same bus as Jasper and not next to him!" Alice sat firmly next to Jasper and buckled her seat belt, Jasper leaned over and kissed her indecently. Rosie batted them apart, twisting around from the front seat she could just reach.

"Cut it out you two, none of that until you are safely tucked away in your tent," Rosie warned.

"Yeah," I added, "Don't forget Dad still thinks you're his innocent virgin daughter." I grinned and jumped in next to Bella, there really wasn't much room, I had to rest my arm around the back of her headrest because my shoulders were too wide to fit. Not that I minded, being close to Bella was the ONLY reason I was camping within a ten mile radius of my father.

"You don't really think that he still believes that do you?" Alice looked over at me anxiously.

"Of course he does, I heard it all when we moved your stuff here at the start of the year. Something about how you'd better remain untouched until after the wedding or some shit like that."

Alice squealed and buried her face in her hands, "Oh no! What else was he thinking?"

"Uh, well he was pretty pleased that we packed two beds into the truck. Don't worry too much Alice, he really can't throw stones after what he did," I spat the last part. My father disgusted me.

Bella looked at me curiously, "What did he do?"

I blushed, "Long story."

Emmett reversed out of the car park, "Long trip Edward, plenty of time for a long story."

"It's nothing, he cheated on my mother when I was a baby. He got Esme pregnant with twins and my mother had no idea there was another woman until he packed up and moved to America with her. Esme was older than him, she knew he was married and she'd seen photos of his son." I shook my head with disgust.

"Mum was devastated, Esme sent her letters trying to explain, but how do you explain that? Dad had cheated on her, probably since I was born, now he had left her with his baby to live with his new woman and his new babies. Mum was only nineteen when he left her, I wasn't even quite two years old. He never visited or phoned. It was Esme that arranged for me to spend Summers with them in Forks, if it wasn't for her Alice probably wouldn't have known I existed. I found this out when I was ten and I disowned him completely, when my Mum and step-dad died two years later he tried to be a part of my life, but it was too late. I didn't need him then and I don't need him now. He's only proud of me now because I chose to study medicine. If I was some bum in England I bet I wouldn't have ever heard from him."

I realised I was choking up with tears and I stopped talking. Alice continued the story for me.

"Dad was really strict with James and I, we didn't get away with anything. He loved us but we had to be the perfect children. I always thought it was because he was a doctor and it would look bad if we were naughty. I didn't realise until much later that Edward was actually his real son. Dad and Mum always had foster children in our home and I'd thought that Edward was another one, he was my favourite, but Dad never told me any different. I think he mellowed after Edwards Mum died but he never spoke about it and I never asked."

"Don't get me wrong, I love Dad, and I love Mum, I think everyone makes mistakes and at some point they deserve to be forgiven." Alice gave me a pointed stare before turning back to sit in her seat comfortably. Rosie cleared her throat.

"Okay, so how about some music?"

I sighed in relief, "Sounds great!"

Emmett howled, "Noooo, this is a ROAD TRIP guys, we need to play games and have FUN!"

"Okay okay, what do you suggest?" Emmett was like a little kid, you needed to keep him entertained or else he caused mischief. We played car cricket for the next four hours, everyone was bored except for Emmett, yet his childish excitement was so amusing that we all kept playing until the end. He won of course. We pulled up at the same Forks diner where Bella and I had met almost six months ago now. The girls headed to the bathroom as Emmett fuelled up the van.

"Hey Eddie, do you think Bella could drive this?"

"Um, I guess so, she drives that old truck alright. If you need a break I can drive for a bit?"

"It's not that, I just don't know where to go from here."

Rosie danced back over to us, "Well why don't you and I take the backseat Em, Eddie can drive and Bella can direct him."

Jasper snorted, "Edward take direction? That'll be the day."

"I won't fit in the backseat Rosie," Emmett started to whine.

Alice emerged from the diner and handed Emmett his fuel receipt, "You owe me big guy, what are you guys fighting about anyway?"

"Bella's the only one that knows the way from here," Emmett explained.

"So let her drive," Alice shrugged and jumped back into the van.

In the end Bella did do the driving, I sat in the middle in the front seat and Emmett sat on my other side.

"How come you get to cosy up to the pretty girl Eddie?" I saw Bella roll her eyes at Emmett as she drove.

"You have a girlfriend Em, your days of cosying up to random pretty ladies are over," I teased him. I was very close to Bella here, she had made me her chief navigator and handed me the map. I think she knew the way with her eyes closed but I was happy to help anyway, we made a good team these days after all of that studying together.

"Oh look, it's beautiful!" Rosie and Alice were squealing in delight and I had to admit that this was a beautiful location to look at. We were approaching La Push and we could see the ocean stretching out in front of us, dense forest on either side of us and picturesque cliffs here and there with little river systems and waterfalls weaving around them. I smiled and squeezed Bella's leg excitedly, she laughed.

"Gorgeous isn't it? We come here every year to camp, it's one of my favourite places in the world!"

Bella drove along a winding road and pulled up in front of a warmly lit two storey log cabin, it was way too nice to be considered camping and I hoped that this wasn't where we were staying. Bella noticed my apprehension, "This is where the olds are staying, we get our next directions from here."

We all jumped out of the van and stretched our legs and arms, it had been crowded in the front. Two largish dogs that looked more like wolves than any domestic breed I had ever seen ran towards Bella.

"Bella look out!" I shouted and ran to her side.

"Hey beautiful boys, have you missed me?" Bella was hugging the wolf dogs and burying her head in their bushy fur. Wow, they were pets? I had a feeling that camping here might just freak me out a little.

"Bella?" A large booming voice rang from the front door.

"Dad!" I smiled as Bella ran and threw herself into his arms, "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too Bells, I'm glad you could come home for this."

Dad this is Edward, Alice's big brother. Chief Swan shook my hand and smiled, "Thanks for looking after my little girl Edward. She tells me you adopted her exercise program more readily than I ever did." I smiled and blushed.

"And these are our friends Emmett and Rosalie, you already know Jasper and Alice," she smiled and introduced our group to her father, "Jake! Hey, I'm home!"

"Bells!" A man that was pretty much all muscle and bare skin came running towards us, the dogs were following him and I took him to be their owner. Jake crashed into Bella with a huge hug that knocked her to the ground and she squealed as the dogs licked her face and Jake held her pinned down.

I smiled when Alice walked over and kicked the hunk of man that was on top of Bella, "Jake get off her, you're wrecking her camping clothes!"

"Oh hey Alice, missed you too pixie," at least he released Bella.

"Edward! You came!" I was taken off guard as Esme rushed out and hugged me tight, "Oh I was hoping you would come!" I patted her back awkwardly until she let me go, she didn't seem to notice as she ran to hug Alice in the same manner.

Dad walked out of the door next, "Son," was all he said as he nodded in my direction. I nodded back, Bella brushed past me on the way to the house and squeezed my hand, taking it and pulling me up into the house behind her. I had a feeling that without that nudge, I would probably be very happy staying out on the grass until we were ready to leave.

A woman with remarkably similar colouring to Jake met us just inside the door. "Hi Sue," Bella said shyly, "can Edward and I grab the camping gear?"

"Sure Bella dear, Jake took most of it up this morning for you, there's only the food left." I followed Sue and Bella into the kitchen of the large house and grabbed the heaviest of the two esky's, Bella took the other one easily and I smiled as I remembered our morning work-out sessions. Obviously hers were paying off.

As we walked out of the door Bella shouted out to Emmett, "we've got the gear guys, time to get moving, we need to set up camp." Bella's Dad came up and took the esky from her, loading it into the van easily.

"My god Alice, are these all of your clothes dear?" I chuckled at how well Chief Swan knew my sister. It made sense, Alice and Bella probably had sleepovers all the time.

Emmett jumped into the backseat with Rosie and Bella once again took the drivers seat. I took the front passenger seat, leaving the seat between us vacant. Bella was just about to start the van when Jake opened her door, "Move over Bells, you don't know where you're going."

"Hey, Jake you can't just drive someone else's car. You gotta ask them!" Jake was shoving Bella towards me and she grumbled before moving over.

Jake spun around and looked into the back, "would the owner of this vehicle like to reach camp by tonight?" Alice giggled and Jake started the van. The last thing I heard as we drove off was Chief Swan warning Jake to drive safely, it looked like we'd be going off road very soon.

**A/N: Just so you know, if you sign up for alerts, add this as a favourite story or me as a favourite author, I always check out your profile and try to read any stories you've written. If you haven't written any stories or if you have a lot of favourite stories, I figure that we already have a common interest and I choose my next stories to read from your lists in your profile. I've found this a great way to save time searching the site for new stories I will like and I thought I'd share it...**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Bushwalk

We pulled up near a bonfire which had tents set up half way around it and piled out of the van. There were already people at the camp laughing and roasting steak and sausages for dinner. I smiled, the atmosphere was incredible and I was glad I came along.

"Hey Edward?" I turned my attention to Bella, smiling as she blushed. "Uh, well I guess I should have asked sooner or something, but is it okay if I share your tent?" I smiled widely.

"Sure thing," I started grabbing bags out of the van and Jake parked it out of the road while we set up. I had no idea how to set up a tent but Bella was an expert so we were still the first finished.

Jake wandered up to where Bella and I were laying out our things in the tent, "Hey Bella, you can share with me if you want?"

"Oh, thanks Jake but I'm already set up here."

"So what's the go, are you guys dating?"

"Jake! That's hardly polite. Edward and I are flatmates, we live together, I'm sure we can share a tent!"

"Okay okay, I was just asking."

It was twilight and the view over the cliffs was amazing, I wandered off to sit on a rock by myself and take in the view. Two weeks of camping, already this Jake guy was getting on my nerves. What was he, like sixteen? He sure acted like it. The visions Alice had were usually pretty accurate so I would forgive him for being irritating as long as Bella ended up kissing me before the two weeks were up.

I heard footsteps and twisted around where I sat on my rock, surprised to see Bella walking towards me. She had showered, her hair was wet and she was wearing jeans and a tight black hoodie with a white shirt underneath.

"Hey you," she said as she walked up to me and climbed to sit next to me on the same rock.

"Hey Bella, this place is great," I smiled and looked out over the ocean again.

"Yeah it is, isn't it? Anyway, I came to say thank you for last night, for the home videos and the Thai, for the hugs and the tissues and for showing me that I can still be happy. I mean, I can't take back what I did, but if it happened again I would do the same thing so I guess it was the right thing to do."

I reached an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to me, like we'd been last night.

"Mm, it was a brave thing to do, and so selfless. Your Dad seems like that, you must have inherited a big part of him."

Bella giggled, "Well you know what? You look EXACTLY like your Dad. It is so scary! I mean, Dr Cullen gave me my shots as a kid and plastered my arm when I crashed my motorbike. He's hot for an old guy, and I always thought James looked a bit like him, but whoa, then you come along."

I laughed and Bella blushed, "Oops, that's not what I meant. I don't know what I meant."

"It's okay Bella, everyone says I look like my father, so I guess it's a good thing if he's relatively attractive."

Bella smiled and play pushed me off the rock, I tickled her until she squealed for me to stop then I carried her over my shoulder back to camp.

"Hey Em, I caught a wild animal for dinner, do you think you could roast this?"

"Eddie that variety of animal is better eaten in private, and believe me you won't want to share," Emmett winked at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Gross Em!" Bella swatted at Emmett as soon as I put her down.

We feasted on steak and sausages as I met the other members of our camp. I was pleased to see that Em, Rosie and I weren't the oldest, Sam and Emily had to be at least a few years older than us. Then there were Embry, Quil, Leah, Jake and Seth. Seth was obviously the youngest, but it was hard to tell by how much.

Later that night we were all sitting around the campfire in our jackets drinking beer from a couple of kegs the La Push boys had on ice. Emmett jumped up, "Oh let's play a game! Come on people, how about Truth or Dare?"

Leah laughed, "No way am I playing THAT with these guys! How about Never Ever?"

Emmett looked thoughtful, "Okay, explain the rules and I'll give it a shot."

Leah smiled, "Everyone has a turn as we go around the circle to say something they have Never Ever done. If you've ever done what they say, then you have to skull your drink. The idea is to remain the soberest by catching people out with things you know they've done, but you can't lie with your never ever."

Emmett smiled widely, "I like it. Game on."

Leah started, "I've never ever been to college," she grinned as we groaned and Bella, Alice, Jasper, Rosie, Emmett and I had to skull. That was a dirty one, the game would be on now for sure.

Alice giggled at her turn, "I have never ever swam naked in the ocean." We all looked around the group expectantly and laughed as Bella, Jake, Leah, Quil and Embry downed their drinks. So Bella swam naked? With Jake? Hmm.

Next was Jasper, "I have never ever eaten ice-cream!" I groaned as I remembered his allergy to my favourite treat then laughed as everyone other than Jasper had to skull their drinks.

I knew that Emmett's turn was going to be loaded and I waited expectantly, "I have never ever put a condom one with my mouth." The group cracked up laughing as Rosie, Alice, Leah and Seth skulled their beers. We laughed more at Seth, I was pretty sure he didn't understand the question.

Rosie's was, "I have never ever deliberately thrown a bowling ball at someone." I looked around perplexed as Bella swigged her drink. She looked over at me and grinned.

"It was Mike Newton, he bet that I was so bad at sports that I couldn't even throw a ball to him. Anyway, we were ten pin bowling so...well, let's just say he went home with a headache." I laughed as I pictured Mike being rolled by a girl. Bella had more spunk then she let on, plus she was losing this game. Attending college, swimming naked, eating ice-cream and throwing bowling balls. It was my turn, I thought hard, then looked over at Alice.

"I have never ever lied to my father," I expected Alice to drink but I laughed long and hard as everyone else in the group skulled their beers. Apparently disowning your father made you more truthful? Bella was next and I was a little concerned about how much she had drunk already, her words were slightly slurred but she seemed happy and she was enjoying herself.

"I have never ever had sex," well, yes, I had expected that one to come out at some point, but not so early! Bella looked at me pointedly as I held my glass in my hands. I shrugged my shoulders. Rosie nudged me.

"Are you serious Eddie? Never?"

I spluttered, "What? Does my reputation precede me or something? No, never!" I was blushing, this game wasn't so fun after all. Bella giggled and touched my face.

"Don't worry, I didn't drink either." I smiled at her, she was obviously drunk but it was also obvious that we were the only two that hadn't skulled our drinks. Even Seth, the young guy, had drunk his drink. I wondered if he had understood the question.

As the game went on Bella and I won more and more rounds, let's just say that as the others got inebriated they may have shared more about their love lives than I would have ever cared to know. My next turn was "I have never ever been to a rock concert." Well it was true enough, I grew up in England, it wasn't a big deal there. Bella giggled but didn't drink her beer.

"Maybe I could take you to one someday?" I knew she was drunk but her offer of a date thrilled me all the same. Her turn was next.

"I have never ever..." she looked around at us with a hint of evil, "touched a penis." I laughed as I realised I would have to drink, I'd seen touched my own! She was the only one not drinking and I was pretty sure she had won this game. As we crawled into our tent later that night I realised that my imagination had run away with me when it came to James and Bella. They were only fourteen, of course she'd never touched a penis. I smiled and closed my eyes, sleep came easily and I slept free from nightmares for the first time in ages.

Bella woke me early in the morning, not that she intended to I'm sure, she was talking in her sleep. I had thought she had called my name and I'd opened one eye lazily before realising that she was actually saying my name in her sleep. I smiled and watched her face for a while, she would murmur my name and smile and I had to admit, I loved it. I started to feel like I was intruding somehow so I wriggled out of my sleeping bag. I looked over at Bella, still sleeping soundly, and decided it was safe to change into my clothes inside our tent, as long as I could hear Bella sleep talking I would know she was asleep.

I wriggled out of my tracksuit pants and pull jeans on over my boxer shorts, it was harder than I'd anticipated to get dressed inside a tent and I chuckled at myself. I chose a plain grey t-shirt and pulled the shirt I'd been sleeping in up over my head, I heard Bella gasp. I looked around quickly and saw that her eyes were closed, but the tell-tale blush spreading across her cheeks gave her away. She was awake. I pulled the new t-shirt over my head before leaning down and tickling her. Bella squeaked and kicked and I relented easily.

"Good morning peeping tom," I teased her.

She groaned, "That's not fair, I didn't know you were changing!"

I grabbed my college jersey and slipped it over the t-shirt, "Did you sleep well?" I asked.

"Mm hmm, how about you?"

I grinned, deciding not to reveal how she'd been talking in her sleep.

"Like a baby."

Bella smiled and sat up, "Good," she gave me a quick shove, "now find me some coffee while I get dressed." I laughed and shook my head before venturing out of our tent.

It was fresh outside, I was glad I'd gone for the jersey. I pulled my joggers on and rubbed my eyes, it looked like everyone else was asleep. Damn, I'd have to start the coffee. I headed over to our food shack and smiled when I found a gas burner and old style kettle inside, that would be quick and easy. I filled the kettle with water and lit the burner before placing the kettle on to boil. Now to find the coffee, sugar and milk. Five minutes later I met Bella as she emerged from our tent with two cups of steaming hot coffee, she smiled and thanked me. I loved her morning hair before she'd brushed it, it never seemed to get too mussed up in the night, just enough to be sure that she'd slept. Rosie would pay big money to get that type of look and Bella just woke up with it. I wondered what her sex hair would be like. Thoughts like that were going to get me into trouble. I shook my head and followed Bella to our lookout from the day before.

I sat beside her as casually as I could manage, "So what's on the agenda today?"

Bella glanced over her shoulder back at the campsite, "I don't think anyone else is going to surface for a few hours yet. It's only five and they're probably all hungover."

"Five? Wow, it feels later than that," I was mildly shocked. I guessed that we were used to getting up around five for our jog so it made sense that we would be up by now. Bella looked up at me.

"Do you want to go for a bushwalk or something before the others get up? Like instead of our jog?"

I shrugged, "Sure, as long as you show me how. I've never been bushwalking before, or hiking for that matter." Bella grinned and nodded.

"Okay, I'll organise a pack. Can you find us an easy breakfast before we leave and write a note for the others?" I nodded and watched Bella skip happily back to the campsite.

Ten minutes later we were on our way, eating a dubiously nutritious breakfast of breakfast of unheated pop-tarts. Bella had made us one pack to share and I insisted on carrying it, wondering how on earth two people needed so much stuff for one short walk. I followed Bella, partly because I didn't know the way and partly because I wanted to stare at her. She'd braided her hair tidily and put a cap over the top. She had her tight black hoodie on again with blue jeans and proper hiking boots. I only had my joggers but they seemed to be doing the job.

I looked around, "Do you know the way?" We'd been walking for a few minutes already and everything was starting to look the same to me. I wasn't even sure which way back camp was.

"Uh huh, why? Don't you trust me?"

I thought about her question in far more detail than I really needed too. Trust. Yes, I trusted Bella, I would close my eyes and follow her blindly off a cliff. I wondered if that was considered trust or if that was just lovesickness?

We emerged from the forest and were met with the most exquisite view I had ever seen in my entire life! The forest went on forever and ever and it was absolutely breathtaking. I ran to the edge of the cliff and held a tree trunk for support as I swung out and laughed at how great everything was, the sights, the smells, the sounds. I heard a click and turned around to find Bella with a camera, usually I would be mad but I was in a really good mood at the moment so I struck a few poses instead, making Bella giggle uncontrollably as she snapped away.

She put her camera back in her jeans pocket and approached me where I stood holding the tree trunk and leaning over the cliff. I smiled as I helped her stand up on the tree exposed tree roots with me, I had one hand wrapped securely around the tree trunk and my other arm was wound around Bella's waist, holding her deliciously close to me. Bella smiled and looked up into my eyes, we were standing closer than we ever had before and my breathing quickened as I realised she wasn't trying to pull away, in fact she was leaning in.

I leaned in too. Our lips met softly and gently, delicately touching a few times before her mouth opened and allowed me access to kiss her deeply. I couldn't resist slipping my tongue a short way into her mouth and I groaned when she sucked it hungrily. I took a huge breath and swung her around, pressing her against the tree with my entire body as we continued kissing. This was my dream come true, Bella was kissing me! Me! And it seemed very much like she was enjoying it. I heard a huge crack and smiled, so the proverbial 'struck by lightening' really happened when sparks flew? Awesome. I kissed Bella deeply again before I realised the cracking wasn't a good noise.

We were falling, I looked around, "Shit Bella, the cliff is coming apart!" Our section of cliff with the tree had cracked a few paces back and we fell a few inches before Bella screamed. I wrapped my arms around her as tightly as possible, cradling her head into my chest. If we were going to fall then I needed to protect her first, she was my world now. I took a deep breath as the ground fell away below us and we plunged feet first into the ravine below.

**A/N: ba ha ha cliff hanger – get it? Oh I crack myself up. Who wants to know what happens next? 10 reviews and you can have it, else you have to wait until next week **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

You know those dreams where you are falling into nothingness and your stomach is flip flopping and then you wake up scared as shit? Well it was like that but worse. Worse because as we fell little pieces of debris fell on top of us, and worse because instead of waking up in bed, we hit the ground, hard. The pack I was wearing on my back took a bit of the impact, but I'm not going to lie, it still hurt like hell. Bella was still cradled into my chest and breathing heavily.

"Bella are you okay?"

"Mm hmm, I think so. What about you?"

"Yeah, I'll live. Now, where were we?"

I pulled her chin up for a kiss and she laughed and pulled away. I smiled as she sat up beside me, I had no inclination whatsoever to move in a hurry. Everything was hurting too much. Bella leaned over me and kissed me again, oh god I was in heaven. I wound one hand around the back of her neck under her braid and held her against my mouth.

"Edward, uh, hang on. We should assess our situation or something I think."

I groaned but released her from my grip anyway, "Okay, assess away. You're the expert." I grinned as she stood shakily and walked around a bit.

"Holy shit Edward! We fell like three whole storeys!"

"Yeah, I can feel it."

"We almost died!" she was giggling and I couldn't help but laugh too. I guessed our adrenalin had hit an all time high during the fall. We really were incredibly lucky. Bella looked relatively unharmed, I decided to check anyway. I stayed resting against our pack like how I'd landed and called out for her.

"Hey Bella, can you lift your arms above your head?" she looked at me quizzically before trying, yep she did that with no pain. "How about rolling your wrists around? Your neck?" I worked my way down her body as she proved she could move every joint easily. In fact, she didn't even have any scratches.

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to bruise badly," she looked concerned but considering what we'd just survived, a bit of bruising would be nothing.

"Mm, you probably will. I'll get some ice on you when we're back at camp." I sat up and winced. I had a feeling that I hadn't made it out as unscathed as Bella had.

"Edward stay still, it's my turn to play doctor," Bella ordered me. I let her run her hands over my body from my ankles up. I demonstrated that I could move every joint as well but I still didn't mind that she was touching me. When she got to my left shoulder I couldn't lift it without extraordinary pain. I groaned in pain as Bella slipped the pack off my shoulders, it was inevitable that she'd bump my shoulder as she pulled the pack off, but it had to be done.

Bella stood back and looked at me thoughtfully, "How much do you love that jersey?" I knew she was thinking of cutting it off and there was no way I was letting that happen.

"It's my favourite," I growled. I tried to lift it off over my head to prove I was fine but honestly, I wasn't fine. Bella sighed and knelt next to me.

"Okay, it's going to hurt a bit but at least your jersey will survive," she pulled my jersey up by the hem and I drew in a sharp breath as she got near my head. Bella jerked the jersey over my head in one movement and I hissed my breath out.

"I'm so sorry, was it really bad?" I gritted my teeth and shook my head. Bella leant down and cupped my face in her hands, "Okay, I'll try a different way then." I looked at her quizzically until she placed her lips on mine. I gasped.

"Oh I like this way!"

She giggled, "I thought you would!" Bella continued kissing me and I wondered how this was achieving anything, not that I minded. Pretty soon I was so distracted that I couldn't care less what she was doing. She pulled away momentarily and pulled my t-shirt over my head. I gasped in pain but her mouth was back on mine instantly. I used my uninjured right arm to wrap around the back of her neck and keep her there until most of the pain had subsided.

"Okay, I really think you should quit pharmacy and become a doctor. You have a great bedside manner!" I kissed Bella gently on the lips and released my grip on her neck. She blushed a little and pulled away.

She glanced down at my chest, "Wow," she whispered.

"Is it bad?" I couldn't tell by the look on her face. She met my eyes and blushed furiously as I realised that the 'wow' had not been aimed at my injury. It seemed odd that Bella had never seen me shirtless before, but growing up in a boarding school it was inappropriate to go shirtless and I was in the habit of wearing one around other people. Her 'wow' had been a not-so-subtle appreciation of my body and that made ME blush.

Bella ran her fingers along the muscles in my left shoulder and I winced, "Hmm, I think it's dislocated. It's swelling up pretty bad. I'm going to pressure bandage it okay?" I bit my lip and nodded, it was probably a rhetorical question anyway. Bella rummaged in the pack she'd bought and pulled out a rather large first aid kit. Hmm, so that's what I'd been lugging around? She placed my left hand on my right shoulder and begin to bandage it to my body. She went a little bit overboard and by the time she'd finished I looked more like an Egyptian Mummy than a patient with a dislocated shoulder. I looked down and chuckled, it hurt to chuckle but it made Bella laugh and her laugh was contagious.

"I'm sorry, that was a bit too much wasn't it?" I grinned and shook my head. It was fine, absolutely better than nothing.

"Where'd you learn your first aid?" I was definitely curious about this one, she seemed to know what she was doing but her technique was a bit off.

"Um, Billy taught me so I could help out at Jake's football games. He was always dislocating something and it was boring to just have to watch every weekend so I learned to help."

I nodded, "So you and Jake were close huh?"

"Yeah, our dad's are best friends. Jake's alright, I mean he's a couple of years younger than me but we always seemed to get along..." she looked away and focused on repacking the pack.

"What happened?"

Bella sighed, "Just before I left for college things got a bit weird, Jake wanted to be more than my friend and well, I wasn't ready."

I nodded, yeah I'd kind of picked that up actually. "Hey Bella?" she looked up at me and smiled questioningly. "Are we more than friends now? I mean...well...ah, don't worry about it." I mumbled and looked away.

Bella leaned over and touched my face until I looked at her, she leant in and kissed me once sweetly. "Yeah I think we're more than just friends, as long as that's okay with you?" I smiled, okay? It was fan-frickin-tastic. I smiled and nodded.

"Do you think Jake will have a problem with us?" I needed that one out in the air. Bella shook her head for no.

"It's none of his business anyway." Bella sat gently on my lap and wrapped her arms around me in an awkward hug, awkward because of my bandaged arm. I smiled and kissed her neck.

"Should we head back?" I asked.

"Yeah. Come on, I'll help you up." I stood shakily and winced, everything hurt. Bella tucked my shirt into the pack and wrapped my jersey around her shoulders before pulling the pack onto her back. She reached out for my right hand and we began walking slowly uphill on an angle, trying to climb back up the cliff in the gentlest way possible. Climbing was almost impossible with one arm and often Bella would have to go ahead, ditch the pack and then come back for me. I felt like an invalid and we made light of the long trek by laughing and joking whenever we could. We had slipped a couple of times and we were both covered in dirt and scratches by the time we made it back to camp.

"Oh my god! Edward I was so worried about you!" Alice threw herself at me and knocked me to the ground.

"I'm fine Alice, Bella just wanted to introduce me to hiking was all," Bella smiled and shook her head before dropping the pack. She looked exhausted.

Sam came running over to us, "Bella! What happened? Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, some of the cliff came away and we fell like three storeys! It was crazy! I think Edward dislocated his shoulder but I'm okay."

Sam shook his head in disbelief before calling out to Emily, "Baby call Dr Cullen on the two-way, I'm going to drive these two back to the house."

I groaned inwardly, fuck, I didn't want Dad anywhere near me, let alone treating my shoulder. It would be too much to ask for there to be ANY other doctor in La Push on the holidays now wouldn't it? I sighed and Bella looked at me sympathetically, "Don't worry, I'm coming with you."

Alice knelt beside me, "I'm coming too Edward, and I'm going to grab you both some fresh clothes so you can shower at the house, you are filthy! Bella look at your hair!" I looked at the debris in Bella's hair and laughed.

"You look like a scarecrow!"

She poked her tongue out at me, "Well you look like an Egyptian Mummy!"

I raised my eyebrow, "And whose fault is that?" She blushed and I laughed. It still hurt to laugh. I wondered if Alice had predicted I'd have a bad fall when Bella kissed me? I would have to ask her.

"I DID NOT!" Alice hissed as she returned from the tent and I smiled as she turned her attention to Bella. "You kissed him? Seriously? Already?"

Bella blushed, "Alice! Keep it on the down low okay? Discretion and all that?"

Alice nodded and bit her lip excitedly, it's not like she didn't see that coming. I wondered what the discretion was for, Bella had said we were now more than just friends, was she embarrassed to say I was her boyfriend in front of her old friends and family? I hoped she just wanted time to get used to it.

"What's this I hear? Bella pushed who off a cliff?" Jake pushed through the crowd, still in his boxers with no t-shirt. Holy crap that kid had muscles, Bella did say he was a footballer, but his chest was almost unnatural. Jake looked down at me sitting bandaged on the ground and snickered. Sam came around in his jeep just then, rescuing me from Jake, I had a low tolerance for stupid at the moment.

"No one pushed Edward off the cliff, it crumbled, right Bella?" Sam glanced at Bella and she nodded. Sam and Emmett helped me into the passenger seat of the jeep and Bella, Alice and Jasper jumped in the back. Alice had one of my smaller bags and I hoped she'd thought to put a button down shirt in for me and not a pull-over one.

"Of course I did," she huffed from the backseat. Bella and Jasper turned to stare at Alice and Alice blushed.

"He didn't say that out loud did he?" she mumbled as she stared at her hands in her lap, suddenly fascinated by her fingernails. Jasper slid his hand over hers and gave them a gentle squeeze, poor Alice, her gifts were getting more profound as she got older while mine seemed to be fading. Bella wrapped her arm around Alice's shoulders and gave her a warm hug, Alice relaxed a bit and smiled. At least she had good friends that understood, I had to admit, you couldn't get much better friends than Bella and Jasper.

We pulled up at the large log house and both of our fathers met us at the jeep. Bella's dad practically lifted her out of the backseat, "Dad I'm fine! Seriously, I'm not even hurt, I can walk!"

I chuckled as I slipped out of the front seat, Jasper and Sam had come around to help me into the house. Dad led the way into the house and into what I guessed was the den. He'd already set up his medical kit and I sighed, I wasn't looking forward to this. Bella's dad finally put her down and she sat on the piano bench. Wow, they had a piano in the log cabin? Camping in style, that was so typical of my parents. Carlisle sat me on the fold out couch which he'd unfolded and set up with clean sheets, or someone had.

A large audience had gathered and everyone was watching wide-eyed as Carlisle un-bandaged me. It took forever. "Who did the bandaging?" Carlisle looked perplexed and Bella blushed.

"Bella did," I was suddenly defensive. Dad nodded.

"She did a good job. It's probably reduced the swelling by half," he nodded approvingly and I saw Chief Swan swell with pride as he rested his hand on Bella's shoulder. Bella reached up and touched her Dad's hand. It was sweet how much they cared about each other, it reminded me of my mother and I had to choke back tears.

"Fuck what are you doing!" I roared as Carlisle cracked my shoulder. My vision swam and I saw stars, Bella looked horrified and Alice was crying.

"Edward! Language!" Esme chided. I resisted the urge to tell her to shut the fuck up and gritted my teeth.

"All better," Carlisle stood back. "Now if you two get showered I'll quickly look over you and put that arm in a sling." My breathing was still laboured from the pain, there was no way I could shower myself at the moment, my father had lost his mind completely.

He seemed to realise, "Ah, yes, that will probably be difficult for you. I'll stay and give you a hand."

"You will NOT," I spat.

Alice saved me, "I'll help him Dad. Jasper and I can help him shower, I've got all of their clothes and stuff in this bag anyway." Dad nodded and stood aside.

Sue walked in and held Bella's hand, "Come on darlings," she indicated to me as well, "I've put out some fresh towels in the downstairs bathroom. You can change in the attached bedroom."

Jasper helped me up and down the hall, once we were all in the attached bedroom and the door was closed Alice hugged me tight. "Oh my god that was horrible Edward! Are you okay?"

I moved my shoulder gingerly, it was a bit better, at least I could move it even if it did hurt like hell. Bella walked up close and I used my injured arm to pull her into a hug too.

"You want first shower?" I looked down at her and asked her the same question I did every morning. I liked it best when she had first shower because it meant she cooked breakfast, and I liked her cooking. Alice smiled and touched my cheek gently before going to get her bag. I knew she'd heard that too, only Alice knew just how obsessed I was.

Bella nodded and slipped into the bathroom, she pushed the door behind her but didn't quite close it. I sighed and sat on the blanket box at the end of the bed, I was pretty dirty and I didn't want to wreck Sue's nice quilt. Alice rubbed my neck gently and I realised just how much everything ached. We heard water rushing in the bathroom and it didn't sound like the normal shower sound that we'd been hearing for the last few minutes. Alice pushed the door open and Bella was standing in only a large fluffy towel and running water into the half length bath in the room. She looked up at us surprised.

"A bath would be better wouldn't it?" she looked at me and I nodded, slightly dumbstruck that she was only in her towel. Jasper touched my elbow and I let him help me into the bathroom as Bella ducked out into the bedroom. Jasper half closed the door behind him and turned to me.

"Do you need any help?" he asked awkwardly. I shook my head and he looked relieved, "Okay, well I'll just um, face the wall here while you get in. I don't want to walk back in on Bella changing," he explained and I nodded. Sure, that made sense.

I slipped my jeans and boxers off and stepped gingerly into the bath, Bella had added bubble bath and I grinned, I hadn't had a bubble bath since I was a kid. "Okay safe," I called to Jasper and he turned around. The bubbles covered everything quite modestly, my knees were poking out of the water but that was because it was only a half sized tub. Alice and Bella ducked into the bathroom too. Bella was wearing a mid-thigh denim skirt and a tank top with a beautiful lace crocheted short sleeved top over the tank top. Alice sure had a knack of putting outfits together, Bella looked amazing.

Alice held up the back cleaner, which was really just a stick of wood with a loofah on the end and Bella held up the shampoo and conditioner. I groaned, fine. It wasn't like I had intended to do anything other than just soak in the hot water anyway.

Bella used a small jug to pour water over my head so that she could shampoo my hair and wash my face. I was actually starting to enjoy this invalid thing, Alice was being a little rougher though. She got to my chest and I yelped in pain, "Geez Alice, go easy, I'm injured you know," I pouted and Jasper laughed. Alice rolled her eyes.

"All done, okay, will you be okay to dry off?" Alice asked and I nodded. All three retreated and I stood gingerly and grabbed a towel with my good arm from beside the basin. Damn it, I was never going to be able to dry myself, I couldn't lift my left arm and I couldn't bend over. I sighed in frustration. Bella ducked her head around the door and I held the towel around my waist.

"Need a hand?" I looked up and nodded. Bella came in and closed the door behind her completely, she looked me in the eyes and swapped towels so that I was holding her wet one over my manhood and she held the dry one, she smiled. I leant forward and kissed her once, quickly and very chastely. I didn't trust my body not to react to her presence if I went any further. She reached up and dried my hair and face before very gently running the towel over my arms and torso, I heard her murmur as she ran her fingers over parts of my body that were definitely injured. Obviously I had cuts or bruises or some evidence of injury there. She rubbed my legs down and got me to hold up one foot at a time. I laughed as she dried between my toes, it tickled! Alice busted into the bathroom then with my clothes.

"Okay Edward, hold up one leg," Alice ordered, Bella stood and supported me as Alice slipped one of my legs into my boxers and then the other before pulling them to a point where I could reach. She passed me my deodorant and I looked at her like she was crazy. Bella took the can and did her best to spray my underarms without hurting me, Alice winced when I winced. Bella laughed as Alice held up my shorts.

"Corduroy shorts? Alice those aren't mine!" They were dark blue and well, ghastly!

"They are now, I bought them for you on sale last week, aren't they gorgeous?" Alice squealed excitedly. Bella and I looked at each other and laughed, the laughing hurt. Alice sighed, "I'll take your lack of enthusiasm as evidence of your injury and not as any sign of distaste for my gift." I nodded solemnly and Alice swatted me.

Both girls helped me into a short sleeved button down cotton top, it was white with black pin stripes and a white collar. I wondered why Alice couldn't make me look as good as she made Bella look. Alice swatted me again and I grinned an apology at her.

We four emerged slowly from the bedroom and headed back to the den. Dad shooed everyone else out of the den and stared at Bella, Alice and Jasper expectantly. "They're staying," I stated and Dad raised his eyebrow. He should know better than to start an argument with me, but that's exactly what he tried to do. The shouting escalated and Alice was standing between us with a hand on each of our chests when Esme and Chief Swan came in.

"What is going on Edward?" Esme looked at me accusingly as Alice ran into her arms. I gritted my teeth. I wanted another doctor. Dad threw his arms in the air in defeat. I was surprised when it was Bella who broke the silence.

"I'll drive us into Forks to the hospital, I mean, Edward probably needs x-rays anyway." Everyone turned to stare at Bella. Chief Swan coughed once.

"Do you want to take the cruiser?"

"No way Dad! That's embarrassing!" She exclaimed and I realised he was offering her the police cruiser. That would have been fun.

Carlisle sighed, "You can take my Mercedes Bella, just drive safe okay?"

Bella looked embarrassed, "Okay, thank you Carlisle," wow, Bella and my father were on a first name basis? Well Bella was his daughters best friend, it made sense. Chief Swan hugged Bella and whispered something into her ear, she smiled and hugged him tight. Alice pulled my wallet out of the bag she had and handed Bella her purse. Dad walked over and placed his car keys in Bella's hand.

"I'll call the hospital and let them know you're coming in. Please text us when you get there?" Dad was directing his comments more at Bella than me and she nodded. I bet he was wishing that he had a more obedient son right about now.

I walked out of the room as everyone headed outside but I leaned against the wall just outside the den, catching my breath, pretty soon Bella came to join me. I smiled at her before realising that I could hear my parents perfectly through the wall, and they were talking about me! I looked down at Bella and held my finger to my mouth for 'shh,' she nodded and held still.

"You're lucky he came home at all Carlisle, you know how much he hates visiting."

I heard Dad sigh, "He didn't come home for me Esme, he came home for Bella. That much is obvious, he's sweet on her."

"Yes, well, you should still try harder to get along while he's home. Maybe he would visit more often if he had a good time?"

"He still blames me for what happened with his mother, I don't know how anyone can hold a grudge for a decade and not budge. He's so stubborn!"

Esme snorted, "Yes, and I wonder where he gets that from?" her voice was laced with sarcasm. "Alice loves him to pieces, he's everything to her Carlisle, he's a good person, you just can't see it."

"Good people have at least SOME respect for their parents."

"He's almost a man now Carlisle, you two should really sort this out. I mean, he's obviously in serious pain and you can't even get along long enough to treat him. Thank god he has Bella on his side because poor Alice can't choose sides when it comes to you two." Esme's voice sounded cross, excellent, Dad was in trouble with his missus. Bella tugged on my hand and reminded me that we probably shouldn't be listening. I let her help me outside and over to Dad's car.

"What took you two so long?" Alice chirped and winked and smiled at how wrong she'd just gotten that thought! Alice settled me into the passenger seat and Sue fussed around me.

"Do you need a blanket? Here put this pillow against your shoulder and the window, it might help?" I smiled and thanked her. Bella was still very quiet around Sue and I wondered what that was about. I touched Bella's knee.

"Ready to go?" I whispered and she nodded, starting the engine. Dad's car was nice, it was better than nice, it was luxurious. I supposed it was pretty low key for a doctor, but it was definitely comfortable to ride in and comfort was what I was sorely missing at the moment.

We were silent until we hit the highway, I had slipped my hand over and was resting it on Bella's knee and now that she was on the highway with cruise control, she rested one hand on mine and left the other one on the steering wheel. "So what's up with you and Sue?" I asked.

Bella blushed, "Is it that obvious?" I nodded.

"Uh, well I guess her and dad have a, thing, going on. I'm just not sure how I feel about it is all." Wow, that was weird, I hadn't realised Sue was single, in fact, I was pretty sure I hadn't realised Bella's Dad was single.

Bella took my silence as not understanding, "she's Leah and Seth's mom, it's just strange is all. Leah doesn't like it but Seth doesn't mind. Their dad only died two years ago, it's a bit fresh for them, a bit soon I suppose?" I nodded. Yeah, Leah looked like someone I wouldn't want to mess with, and I was pretty sure Seth was a few cents short of a dollar. It was like a daytime soap opera with all of the parents if you stopped and thought about it. I grinned and told Bella that theory. We spent the rest of the hour long trip in our own thoughts, well mine were mostly thoughts of Bella, but they were still my own thoughts.

**Authors Note: So just because I am in an incredibly good mood, I am updating out of schedule (what schedule? Oh, that's right, there is no schedule) and I have also included below for your entertainment a lemon that I am no longer going to use in the story because it seemed too hard core for the early stages of their relationship. So...the chapter just ended with Edward and Bella heading off to the hospital – this 'deleted scene' takes place in Bella's bedroom at her house in Forks after the visit to the hospital and before they return to camp. Enjoy.**

"_Um, Bella, ah, there's a lot to be said for taking things slowly you know?" I gasped as she undid the clasp on my pants. There was no hiding that monster now._

_She raised her eyebrow as she flicked my cock out of my boxer shorts and I groaned, "Like I don't have a condom?" Yes Edward, that's a good one. A very good point indeed, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes so that I couldn't see her perfect breasts bouncing in the little lacy bra in front of me. I gripped the sheets on either side of the bed hard as she touched my tip with her fingers, I barely felt the pain in my broken thumb._

_Bella shrugged, "I'm on the pill, have been since freshman year, so your point is moot." I gasped. This wasn't exactly how I'd imagined my first time, I mean, by god I wanted it, I wanted her, I wanted all of her, but I wanted it to be right. Bella giggled._

"_I didn't think you were so prudish Mr Mason, but okay, if it's too fast for you then I'll slow down some. You're not exactly pushing me away though." I groaned, I couldn't push her away if I tried, this was exactly where I wanted to be._

_I started to breathe a little easier when Bella slipped off the bed, I sat up and gingerly stretched my broken thumb. Bella knelt in front of me and I damn near blew my load on her face, I gasped again, "Oh Bella, fuck baby, I can't say no to you," I mumbled more to myself as she took me fully into her mouth. Holy fucking hell, I was in heaven. Bella moaned as she moved her tongue around my cock and supplemented her licks with soft hand pumps. I whimpered, I had imagined her doing this so many times in the last six months but my imagination was nothing compared to the real thing._

_I groaned loudly and moaned her name when I felt my balls tighten pleasantly, oh god I was close. "Baby, move back now," I tucked a stray hair behind her ear and tried to move her. She sucked harder, "Fuck Bella, you need to move, I'm really close and you're not helping!" She moaned what sounded like my name and the sensation sent me waaay over the edge, pumping my hot seed straight down her throat, oh god, that wasn't what I'd meant to do. I was breathing hard as she looked up at me with lust filled eyes and licked her lips. Fuck. Who would have thought?_

_I pushed her roughly onto her bed and shoved her skirt high, shit she smelled good down there. I groaned as Bella slipped her fingers inside her panties and started rubbing herself. Well, if I'd been in any doubt about what she wanted, I knew now. I pulled her panties off and gasped, she was fully shaved. I kissed her fingers as she continued to work herself, god I had no idea what I was supposed to do now. Something about the alphabet? Licking the alphabet on her clit, that was it, Emmett had read it out to me from one of Rosie's chick magazines one day. I held Bella's hand aside and explored her gently with my tongue, wondering how I would recognise something I'd never seen before. My tongue brushed across a hard nub and Bella gasped and tightened her thighs around my head, hmm, I think I found the spot._

_I focused on working the alphabet with my tongue, surprised when I got to 'M' and she screamed and shook, coating my tongue with a hot fluid. Fuck, that was hot. Should I keep going? I stroked her folds gently with my fingers before diving in again and starting from 'M', I had only just finished my 'Z' when she screamed my name and shook again. Fuck yes, I was a sex god and I didn't even know it. My cock was rock hard again. I fought every desire in my body to stop myself from plunging into her right then and there, not that I think she'd mind, but I wanted our first real time to be a bit more, well, romantic, than that._

_I kissed her milky thighs and pulled myself up onto the bed beside her, snuggling into her back and spooning her gently. "God Edward, how many women have you made scream like that?"_

_I grinned, "Just you baby," I nuzzled her neck._

_She huffed adorably, "I don't believe you."_

"_You'd better believe it, it's the truth," I smiled into her hair. "Besides, for someone who's 'never ever' touched a penis before you sure knew your way around."_

_Bella giggled, "You learn interesting things from magazines I guess," I knew exactly what she meant. I wondered how we'd go sharing a tent platonically for the next two weeks before wondering if her Dad would shoot me if he knew what I was thinking._

**Please review? Thanks guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – x-rays

I was lying on the cold x-ray table and breathing in and out as directed by some nurse who looked like a hooker. She was annoying me, I was pretty sure the way she touched me as she laid me on the table was inappropriate, what was it with random women thinking it was okay to come on to me? I had a girlfriend now so at least I had an excuse to put my foot down hard.

Finally I was returned to the patient's waiting room, my skimpy hospital gown didn't leave much to the imagination and I was extremely uncomfortable that the x-ray nurse was following me down the hall. I laughed when I saw Bella hunched in the corner in a similarly skimpy gown.

"The fashion police got you too huh?" I joked. Bella smiled.

"With any luck they'll shred those shorts for you," I had to smile at her joke.

"Maybe we could throw them away and just tell Alice that's what happened?" It actually seemed feasible.

"So how'd you go in there?" she asked. I reached out for her hand.

"Okay, and you?" I placed a soft kiss on her hand.

"Yeah they x-rayed me and stuff. I don't feel sore though, I mean, I'm pretty sure it's just bruising." I smiled at her bravery and rubbed small circles on her hand. It would be amazing if she only had bruises, I mean, I know I cushioned her fall, but we fell a very long way!

The doctor who'd welcomed us at the hospital door came up to us now, "Okay you two, you can get dressed and I'll meet you in my office in ten." He had a friendly smile and I liked him, plus he was letting Bella and I stay together with no dramas, unlike a certain blood relative.

I met Bella outside the change rooms, "I see your pants escaped any major harm..." she tried to keep a straight face but it came out like a lopsided grin and I laughed at her.

"C'mon, let's get this over with," I wrapped my good arm around her shoulders and she helped me to the doctor's office.

"Okay, Mr Mason, we'll go through your results first hey?" I nodded.

"You didn't do any permanent damage to your shoulder, a bit of ice and rest and it'll be good as new. You did manage to crack a few ribs but they're sitting right at the moment and they'll heal fine too. Your thumb on your left hand is broken too but there's not much we can do about that apart from strap it and keep it rested. Overall you managed quite well if you really did fall as far as you say you did," he didn't say it as if he didn't believe us, he looked more impressed at how well I'd survived.

Bella squeezed my good hand. "Your turn Miss Swan," he changed the x-rays on the chart and sat on his chair in front of us. "It's not quite as good as Mr Mason I'm afraid," A tear slipped down Bella's face and I stared at her worriedly, the doctor's voice became gentler, "Do you want Edward to leave?"

I looked up at him, "No. I'm not leaving."

"Edward, let Bella decide," he was whispering. I looked at Bella and she shook her head.

"He can stay," phew. She didn't even know what was wrong yet, or did she? The doctor rocked back on his heels.

"If it's showing up on the x-rays then it's time to remove it. It will probably grow back again, but your mother's weren't cancerous and we have no reason to suspect that this one is either. It should only be day-surgery, I can write you a referral for Seattle if you like?"

Bella nodded. I looked up at the x-rays, trying to work out what was wrong. There wasn't anything obvious to me and I was frustrated by that, how was I meant to be a doctor one day if I couldn't even find the problem in this series of x-rays.

"Do you have any questions?"

Bella shook her head but I spoke up, "What is it that you're removing again?" I asked.

The doctor sighed uncomfortably, "Bella has a uterine tumour, we found it when she was 15 and we reduced it with drugs until it didn't cause her any problems, but it's a good sight larger now. We're going to have to surgically remove it this time."

We left the hospital in a sombre mood. I had to go to the pharmacy to get some painkillers and ice-packs and Bella drove me there in silence. "Do you want to go and get an ice-cream or something?" I looked over at her, she was distracted.

"Um, no. I think I want to go home for a bit if that's okay?" I nodded. We pulled up in front of a nice cottage style house and Bella turned the car engine off. I got out of the car and followed Bella up the stairs, I smiled when she reached up and got a key from above the door. I guess the Chief of Police wasn't too worried about getting robbed while he was away.

I followed Bella into the house and up the stairs to what I guessed was her bedroom. She flopped on her single bed and stared at the ceiling, I nudged her and she moved over a bit to let me lie next to her. I pulled her close to me and snuggled her into my body.

"Are you worried?" It was a bad question, of course she was worried.

"A little bit, not so much for me though. It was tumours that killed my mum, they were growing everywhere and no one knew until it was too late. They crushed her to death and she was only twenty-four. Edward, that's only five years away!"

I rubbed her back as she cried into my shirt, "Hey, we both know there's been huge medical advances, and the doctors know about yours right? It's a completely different case, you'll be fine." I smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Why didn't you ever mention it to me?" I was a little bit hurt about that, we'd been very close friends for six months now, and we were flatmates. Like it or not, I knew all about Bella's periods, how could this be worse?

Bella started to cry, "I don't know? Because it's not important? Because I try to forget about it? Because we've only been dating a few hours?" I stroked her hair and held her as she cried. I wondered how I'd never noticed this in Alice's thoughts. Could it be possible that Alice didn't know either? Bella sat up a bit and reached out for her phone, I watched her type out a text.

"I'm just letting them know we're okay and we'll be a few hours yet," she smiled slightly and I wiped the last of the tears out of her eyes.

"Why would you want to love me Edward? I mean, you could have anyone?" I laughed and then realised her question had been serious.

"How could I resist you?" I pulled her close and kissed her, surprised when she kissed me back hard. I was vaguely distracted by the fact that we were in her dad's house and lying on her childhood bed. Making out here seemed wrong, but as I'd just said, how could I resist her? I held her gently and never kissed her harder than she'd kissed me first, however after only a few minutes, her level of kissing was pretty damn hot.

I gasped, "Bella, do you think you should slow down?" not that I wanted her to, but we'd had a rough day so far and by god, if she kissed me like that again I might just cum in my pants. Bella pouted.

"No, why would I want to slow down? I've been waiting six months for this," my heart fluttered to hear that she had wanted me almost as long as I had wanted her. She slipped her lacy shirt off her shoulders and pulled her tank top over her head so that she was straddling me in just her skirt and bra, and her skirt had ridden up some in that position. Holy fuck. I was rock hard now.

I moaned her name as I took in her perfect breasts supported by a plain black bra, they were perfectly sculpted. Shit, she was perfect. Absolutely perfect! I pulled her down to me and kissed her hard, absolutely thrilled that she was kissing me back. When Bella reached down to unclip my not-so-sexy corduroy pants, I had to stop her.

"Bella, love, it's day one of forever, maybe we could afford to take things a bit slow?"

Bella stopped what she was doing and considered me before flopping down beside me on the bed. "Yeah, I was actually wondering, do you think we could maybe keep things a bit quiet until we're back at school? It's just that I'm not sure how Dad would take it, you know?" I sighed and kissed her hair. This is not what I wanted.

"So what does that mean? No more of this? No kissing in public? No hand-holding? You'd better spell it out if you want me to play along." I was annoyed. Great, we'd been dating less than a day and we were already arguing. Bella snuggled into me.

"Just nothing obvious in front of parents okay?" she looked so comfortable snuggled up against me that I had to smile.

"You're my girlfriend though, right?"

"Mm hmm, of course. I don't take my shirt off for anyone you know!" I grinned, Bella always knew what she wanted, that's part of what I loved about her, and I loved that she wanted me.

I could live with being discreet in front of parents, it wasn't like I would have been trying anything other than hand-holding in front of Chief Swan anyway. I smiled happily, I had my girl.

**A/N: So sorry that updates have been few and far between. I will try to be more diligent about updating regularly. **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Visions

Bella straightened her room before we left. We had both only had pop-tarts to eat all day and it was well and truly lunch time by now but Bella was keen to get back to camp. I consoled myself by thinking that it was only an hour's drive, I could eat as soon as we arrived. My head was swimming with everything that had taken place in the last twelve hours. Bella was my girlfriend, at last. I was damned sore, but I didn't care too much. I had fallen further than I had ever fallen in my life, and survived. I had been hiking. I smiled over at Bella as she drove, she looked truly happy. It was nice not to see her worried, I thought about the tumour that she needed removed and shuddered involuntarily. I loved her, I didn't want her hurting.

My stomach grumbled as we pulled up to the parent's cabin. Bella laughed, "Was that your stomach?" I grinned and nodded.

"A man's got to eat, I'm famished. It's been a huge morning!" I stood gingerly, pleased that I could walk unaided now that the pain relief had kicked in. Bella walked around slipped her hand into mine, I raised my eyebrow.

"What happened to discretion?" I held tight to her hand all the same.

"Oh, this is pretty innocent, I think we'll be fine," I smiled and shook my head. I would never understand her. We walked hand in hand up to the cabin, surprised that we had to let ourselves in. I called out a quick hello and grinned when I heard Alice barrelling towards us.

"They're back everyone!" she called over her shoulder, "We waited for you guys! Come on, lunch is ready!" I don't think I'd ever head sweeter words, well apart from everything Bella had ever said to me. Alice dragged us both out the back where several picnic tables were pushed together in a long line. I took a seat next to Alice while Bella walked around the other side and sat between Jake and her father, opposite Alice. My stomach rumbled again as I took in the feast laid out in front of us, oh please let us start eating soon?

As soon as we started eating Bella and I were bombarded with questions. I let Bella list my injuries for everyone, she actually made them sound quite impressive.

"What about yourself Bella? Any injuries?" Carlisle sounded more than curious and Bella blushed. I spoke for her.

"She got away with just bruising, I guess she mostly landed on me and the pack," I hadn't lied at all. Bella sighed in relief and continued eating.

Carlisle's face smoothed into a smile, "That's great. I'm glad you're both relatively okay. Apparently cliff's caving like that aren't all that common."

Sam interrupted, "I'm so sorry Bella! I mean, we usually go through and check the hiking trails, if there is anything that even looks worrying I'll either knock it off myself or at least put a warning up!"

Bella shook her head, "It's okay Sam, accidents happen. It was kind of nice to be at one with nature, well until nature got the better of me." Everyone laughed, me included even though it hurt. Alice stopped laughing and stared off into the distance, no one else seemed to notice but I knew she was having one of her visions. I reached out and held her hands, I could see it too.

_Bella lay on a hospital bed gasping for breath, she was in an operating theatre and she was unconscious. Something was going badly wrong, everyone was panicking. Carlisle was there and I saw him grab the bag hanging from Bella's IV and tear it away, but it was too late._

"Bella don't have the surgery, something will go wrong! You can't do it, there's complications!" Alice was screaming and lunging across the table at Bella. I hauled her back onto the bench next to me. Everyone was silent.

"Bella, what surgery?" Chief Swan sounded mad, very mad.

Alice looked up, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Bella! What surgery!" Chief Swan was losing his temper now.

"Dad I don't have anything planned!"

"Don't lie to me! What did the doctor say? What were the x-ray's like?" he was thundering and even I wanted to cower away from him. "Carlisle I want you to get those x-ray results sent over RIGHT NOW!"

I watched dad jump up from his seat and I stood up, "No, you can't! Bella is an adult and she can make her own decisions. You can't get her results without her permission."

"Stay out of this Edward, any excuse to pick a fight and I swear you'd take it," Carlisle glared daggers at me.

"He's right Dr Cullen, you should ask Bella," I had never loved Emmett more than I did right now.

Everyone looked at Bella, she looked scared and I felt incredibly sorry for her. If I could have scooped her up and run away with her right then I surely would have, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have objected either.

"No. I don't want anyone looking at anything to do with me. Let's just finish lunch," her voice was barely a whisper. Alice was sobbing silently beside me and I wrapped my arm around her.

"Are you okay princess?" I whispered.

"No, no I'm not. It's going to happen Edward, it always happens. I'm never wrong!" she looked more afraid then Bella did.

"It doesn't have to be this way, we just need Bella to say no to surgery until we work out everything and it can't possibly happen," I could see that Alice didn't believe me. I sighed and held her face in my hands, "show me again?"

Alice closed her eyes and for once, I didn't care how odd we looked._ Bella lay on a hospital bed gasping for breath, she was in an operating theatre and she was unconscious. Something was going badly wrong, everyone was panicking. Carlisle was there and I saw him grab the bag hanging from Bella's IV and tear it away, but it was too late._ Alice pulled away sobbing, in her vision Bella was already dead.

"Alice wait, I saw something! Go back!"

She shook her head, "I can't!"

"Yes you bloody well can, this is important!" I tried to grab her face again but she pulled away and stood to leave. I growled, what the hell was she doing? This was life and death for Bella and it was too hard for her to have to watch it again even if it meant I could save her.

"You can't do anything Edward! It's done, can't you see!"

I growled louder, "It IS NOT done. No one's fate is sealed," I hissed the last part.

Alice made a run for the house and I gave chase, tackling her to the ground and holding her face still. She squirmed but it didn't matter, I could see exactly the part of her mind that I needed. I watched again, amazed that I didn't pick it up earlier. The bag that Carlisle pulled away, Bella must be allergic.

I felt a sharp pain piercing my chest and I was suddenly in the garden. What the hell? I winced, Carlisle was kneeling over Alice, asking if she was okay. Alice was practically hysterical, I groaned as I saw Carlisle throwing me off of her in her memory. Shit, I'd just come back from the hospital, couldn't he have been more careful? It's not like I was hurting her! I took a few short sharp breaths before trying to sit up. Bella was in the corner of the garden pleading with her dad, he was really worried about her and she was trying her best to explain without letting on that her friends were both crazy.

I tried to laugh at the lunacy of our situation but it came out more like a cough, and a big chunk of phlegm and blood came up with it. Gross. I stood up gingerly and stretched out, not too bad, well not any worse than this morning anyway. I bet Carlisle had enjoyed throwing me across the yard, he was a sorry excuse for a father that one. Well, to me anyway, he was still doting and fussing over Alice.

Jake stood in the middle of our large lunch group and stated rather loudly, "I'm going back to camp. Anyone wanna ride with me?" I nodded eagerly, surprised when almost all of us indicated a strong desire to leave lunch early.

Sue sighed and threw her hands in the air, "So much drama you kids! Here, I've packed you more food." I smiled at how easily she made light of our little, uh, incident. We all trooped back through the house, Bella and Alice trailed at the end, still trying to shake off their respective parents as Jake and I led the way. I couldn't get out of there soon enough. Sam offered me the front passenger seat of his jeep and I accepted gratefully, I was in no condition to be crawling around in the back seat. I huffed when I saw Jake helping Bella into another vehicle before settling in very close beside her. He'd better watch himself, she was my girl now.

**A/N: Sorry it was so long between updates. I've got to be in a particular mood to write this one and it hasn't happened for a while. I might make it up with a few updates now to keep you guys going. Sorry again!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - Fishing

By sundown Emmett had spread a rather convincing rumour that Bella had been thinking about a boob job. Even though I knew Bella and I knew that she wasn't vain about her looks at all, I still thought the rumour was a good one, and it made sense that Alice would know about a surgery that Charlie would want to know about. Everyone bought it. To me, Bella's breasts were perfect, a B-cup suited her fine, there was no need for any enlargements there. It made me laugh every time someone hinted to Bella how 'in proportion' she was and that there was really no need to change anything. By sundown I was almost killing myself with laughter and Bella threatened to make me sleep outside unless I let her in on what everyone was talking about.

"Oh my god! I'm going to die of embarrassment if that one ever gets back to Dad," Bella groaned and slumped theatrically back against me. We were on our own just down from the campsite, I'd wanted a bit of peace and quiet and Bella had come to find me. I leant down and kissed her hair.

"Mm, I love your breasts," I snuck my hands up under her t-shirt and cupped each hand around a bra covered breast. Bella shivered and leaned in closer, tilting her head up to mine. I pressed a kiss against her warm lips and massaged her breasts gently, she groaned and backed up against me. I was instantly aroused. I moved my hands down and wrapped them securely around her waist.

"Edward you're a tease," her voice was breathy and I smiled as I realised our little moment had aroused her too. I heard footsteps in the distance and dropped my arms to my side, moving a little so that I was standing beside Bella and not behind her.

"Bells dinner is ready, come on up!" It was Jake. He annoyed me. Obviously I was standing right beside Bella, but it wasn't 'hey Bells and Edward,' it was always just 'hey Bells'. I hated the nickname he used for her, it made her sound like a pet that needed a bell around her neck.

"Coming Jake," she shouted out before taking my hand and tugging me back towards the bonfire. Most of the La Push guys had a beer in their hands and I sighed. Great, another long night of under aged drinking, I wasn't looking forward to it. It would be far better if I could just crawl into our tent and fall asleep beside Bella. I wondered if she'd be interested in my proposal.

By ten everyone was drunk, except Bella and I. I wondered why she wasn't drinking tonight, my excuse was my painkillers. I sidled up to her on the fallen log we were using as a seat.

"Not in the mood for drinking?"

"Not really, I'm ready for bed I think," she stretched and yawned. It was contagious, I yawned too.

"Yeah, I was ready for bed before dinner was served. I guess I just felt some moral responsibility to make sure none of these idiots fell in the fire or something," I pointed around to where Seth was trying to demonstrate a handstand to Rosie right beside the campfire. Bella giggled.

"They'll be fine, let's sneak off to bed," my mood lifted immediately. That was a plural, 'let's as in let us' sneak off to bed. Hell yes. I followed Bella eagerly and stood outside as she changed into her pyjamas. Unfortunately for me, they were very decent pyjamas, obviously suitable for camping. I shed my dodgy corduroy shorts and jumper outside of the tent. Boxer briefs and a t-shirt would be fine for sleep, besides, it hurt my shoulder too much to change clothes in a cramped space like a tent.

I ducked into our tent and tried not to trip on anything, in an effort to not call attention to the fact we were sneaking to bed, Bella and I had kept all lights off. I found my sleeping bag and smiled when I realised Bella was in it.

"Hey you, did you get confused?" I teased her as I poked her shoulder gently.

"Oh just get in, there's plenty of room," my dick was half hard just thinking about it. Two seconds later I was comfortably spooning Bella in my sleeping bag.

"I love you," I whispered into her hair.

"I love you too," she sighed gently. My heart glowed with happiness. She rolled to face me and lifted herself up to lean on one elbow, "Edward?"

"Yes love?"

"What happened to taking things slow? Those are strong words for day one," I smiled at how cheeky she could be, even dead tired.

"Are you upset?" I knew she wasn't, I was only asking to bait her.

"No, I just think fair is fair, if you go a bit too fast then I'm entitled to go a bit too fast as well," her hand trailed deliciously down my chest, stopping at the hem of my shirt. "I want you to sleep naked," she purred. Fuck, I was hard again. I really needed to rub one out tomorrow if I was going to survive the rest of the camping trip without shagging her silly, not that she'd mind. It appeared I was the only one with lofty ideals about how a first time should be.

"Of course, I'd do the same," she offered and started to unbutton her flannelette top. I gasped.

"How about half naked? Top half? A compromise?" I offered.

"Hmm, Okay." She agreed, I sighed in relief and gingerly removed my shirt, my shoulder still ached.

Bella snuggled back down into me and I wrapped my arms around her bare back, she smelled really good. I brushed her hair away from her neck and kissed her there gently, just once. She moaned and my dick throbbed. In my wildest dreams I had never imagined Bella would be so, well comfortable, around me. I tried to steady my breathing and lull myself to sleep, I had a lifetime of this to look forward to. There was no need to rush tonight.

We were woken rudely by honking horns, wooden spoons on pans and raucous laughter. I groaned and snuggled deep into Bella, smiling when my face met her bare chest just above where her breasts started. I kissed her there and ran my tongue up her neck, kissing her there too. She giggled.

Someone thumped on our tent, "Up you get kids, we're all going fishing today!" Charlie was thumping on our tent and I covered Bella involuntarily.

"Don't worry, they won't open the tents! We're the only non couple on this side, who knows what else they'd find?" Bella was giggling as she pulled her bikini top on.

"Swimmers?"

"Mm hmm, fishing means swimming for us kids," she grinned and started to slip her pants down. I blushed and turned so that she could change in private. Bella kissed my shoulder, "I'm done, do you need a hand? With your shoulder or anything?"

I smiled, "Maybe, not sure." I rolled my shoulder around a bit, it was still very tender. I found my swimming trunks and decided that I could wear them over my briefs today. Bella flipped idly through my suitcase and threw me an old white cotton long sleeved dress shirt that Alice must have intended for fishing. Bella did the buttons as I admired her body. She had a flowing sundress on over her bikini and slip on sandshoes. It was more feminine then Bella usually did casually and I liked it a lot. She grabbed her sunnies on the way out which reminded me to grab my own.

"Good morning you two, we need help getting this lot up," Charlie greeted us as he shook Jakes tent. It was pretty obvious that everyone apart from Bella and I had huge hangovers, the parents delighted in making loud noises and hurrying everyone along.

"That'll teach them to stay up drinking," Carlisle and Charlie were being over-enthusiastic about waking everyone up. I grinned and ate one of the bacon and egg rolls that Sue and Esme had bought along, swallowing a few painkillers with it.

"We're only taking two cars kids, pile in!" Charlie pointed at the only two vehicles amongst ours that had 4WD, I sighed and considered upping the dosage of painkiller I had just taken. This was going to be a rough ride. Sam's Jeep was piled with most of the adults and Charlie was driving Billy Black's old ute with Billy beside him. I hadn't met Jake's father yet and I was surprised at how nice and, well, normal, he was. Jake must get his cockiness from his mother. Bella jumped into the back of the ute tray and then looked at me worriedly.

"Do you want to swap one of the adults out?" she asked as she glanced at my shoulder.

"No, I'm okay," I used my good arm to hoist myself in beside her and she sat me in front of an esky that was strapped into the back.

"Here, lean against this, it might not move so much," she sat very close to me. Very close. Close enough for Jake to give us a second glance. "Alice, come and sit the other side of Edward so he won't get thrown about and hurt his shoulder more?"

Alice jumped down next to me and cuddled up close, Jake looked somewhat relieved after Bella spoke as he stood behind the cab, holding onto the roll bar. Emmett stood next to him, holding Rose securely in front of him. Jasper sat beside Alice, I sometimes wondered if they were joined at the hip. Once everyone was in Charlie led the way and Sam followed. It meant that everyone in Sam's car could clearly see us on the back of the ute, I wasn't even brave enough to hold Bella's hand. Her closeness just had to be enough for now.

The waterhole was breathtaking, we pulled up in the natural clearing beside it and with everyone helping our little camp was set up in no time. Everyone separated to explore and Emmett and I decided to go stalking wild animals with his new video camera. Rose and Leah had become quite friendly and they were happy to stay and sunbake beside the waterhole. Bella chose to stay with them for now and I gave her hand a quick squeeze before diving into the thick forest with Emmett.

Emmett let me record the video as he narrated in true documentary style. We were extremely excited when we heard rustling in the forest. Emmett turned his voice to a whisper and spoke to the camera wide eyed.

"We're now approaching what could be our first wild animal of the day, the rustling is coming from over there and my best guess is that our animal is foraging for food..." we crept silently towards the rustling, Emmett parted the branches of a tree so that I could get a good shot with the camera. "And the first wild animal of the day is..." Emmett burst through the trees and into the frame, "Alice and Jasper having sex! Gross guys! Get a room!" Emmett slapped Jasper's bare arse as both Alice and Jasper struggled to cover themselves, I was laughing too hard to hold the video camera completely still. I had captured some great footage of their faces, I couldn't wait to edit this video!

"C'mon Eddie, no wild animals here, just horny beavers," Emmett called the last bit over his shoulder as we retreated. I was killing myself with silent laughter. Emmett rolled his eyes, "Shh, I hear something else..."

We crept towards the next noise and I set the camera rolling, surprised when I saw it was Jake and Bella we had stumbled upon this time. Bella was only in her bikini and Jake was typically shirtless. They must have been swimming. We were still out of view and Emmett indicated that he wanted to stay that way, I wasn't sure how I felt but without giving anything away to either Emmett or Jake about our relationship, I had to stay hidden or act cool. I wasn't sure I'd be able to act cool.

"Bells you promised!"

"I didn't PROMISE anything Jake. Things change okay, yes, I'm slowly getting over it but no, I still don't want to date you!" Jake pouted and I steamed anger, of course he'd be asking her that.

"Kiss me Bella!" Bella snorted at his request.

"Kiss me or I'll push you off the cliff?" Jake huffed and crossed his arms. He wouldn't, would he?

Bella snorted again, "I would rather jump off the cliff, what part of 'no' don't you get Jake? I'm not interested."

"But you're interested in other guys!" Bella had turned her back on Jake and he was touching her shoulder, trying to get her attention.

"So what?"

"So you ARE interested in other guys?"

Bella turned back around to Jake and I saw her blush, "Maybe one."

Jake stood extremely close to Bella, "Hmpf, I knew it." Jake pulled the string on Bella's bikini top and it fell off. I gasped, Emmett chuckled silently and Jake gawked at Bella in the seconds before she could cover herself with her hands.

"Jake! What the fuck?"

Jake grinned, "Kiss me and I'll give you your top back?"

"You WILL give me my top right now, and you'll turn around while I put it back on!"

Jake stood very close to Bella, "Kiss me and I'll give it back."

Bella hissed, "NO!"

Jake tried clumsily to wrap his arms around Bella and force a kiss on her lips, Bella took a step backwards away from Jake and in an instant she was over the edge of the cliff.

Bella screamed, Jake gasped and flew to the edge of the cliff, Emmett was off and over the edge of the cliff before I could react, shouting back at me that 'he was on it!"

I clicked the camera off and came running out of hiding as Emmett bought Bella up what turned out to be a very small drop, she looked uninjured, but very angry. I tore my top off over my head and pulled it down quickly over hers, even though it killed my shoulder. Bella slipped her arms through the arm holes as Emmett set her on her feet.

"Bella are you okay?" Jake approached her carefully as everyone else came running, they must have heard Bella scream. I tried to stifle a laugh as Bella fisted her hands and laid punch after punch into Jake.

"Hey hey hey!" Charlie was in between them, holding Bella back with both arms before Jake had a chance to fight back, I wondered if he would have bothered trying. He didn't seem affected by Bella's shots so far. "What is going on here?"

"Bella fell off the cliff," Jake said as he pointed to the ledge.

"Again?" Alice asked.

"No she didn't, you pushed her," Emmett interjected.

"Why was she punching you?" Charlie asked Jake.

"Because I tried to kiss her," Jake looked at his feet. Wow, I didn't think he was going to admit to that one!

Charlie sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "Look Bella, I haven't exactly come out and said it, but I'm okay with you dating now. I mean, you're in college and everything and I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want you to be happy so if you're punching Jake for my sake, it's not necessary."

Bella gritted her teeth, "I was punching him because he tried to kiss me AFTER I said no. I have no desire whatsoever to kiss Jake. EVER."

Charlie sighed in relief, "Okay, but same goes for any boy."

"Dad, thanks, but you're really embarrassing me here!"

Charlie nodded, "Where's your top?"

Bella blushed and looked around on the ground as Jake sheepishly realised he held her bikini top in his hand. "Here Bella," he offered and she snatched her top away from him.

"You took her top off too? Dude that's hardcore for a kiss!" Quil and Embry were behind Jake and both Charlie and Carlisle raised their eyebrows.

"Yup, and Eddie here got it all on camera for me," Emmett boasted proudly as I blushed. Thanks Emmett, this was going to make things awkward with Bella later. I tried to smile across at Bella as everyone dispersed back to their activities, most of them shaking with laughter.

**A/N: This update is just for **_**flock6**_**, because she asked so nicely.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - Leaving

I sat on a rocky ledge a few metres back from the small cliff edge and watched as Bella stood fidgeting with her bikini top, almost everyone was gone. I was struggling to keep our relationship under wraps; I had almost killed Jake myself. I would have willingly thrown myself off the cliff to get to Bella, injuries and all. I wanted to run to her now and hug and kiss her. This was killing me, I would have to go home early, I couldn't stay here and keep my side of our bargain.

Jake had been the last to leave and Quil and Embry had hung around waiting for him. When they were out of sight Bella turned around, her eyes were still downcast and she was biting her bottom lip. A tear slipped down the side of her face and my heart ached for her, I whispered her name and she looked up at me and half smiled. I sat still on my rock as she picked her way over to me.

"Hey, I thought you'd gone," she sat very close to me on my rock and snuggled in under my arm.

"Nope, been here all along," I squeezed her shoulders gently.

"Jake is such a jerk," her words were mild, I'm sure I could have thought of better names than that for Jake at the moment.

I smiled down at her, "yeah, but he's persistent. He's been trying to get you alone since we arrived the other day."

"Edward, I just, I mean, I can't even think of him that way, you know? He's like my kid brother and he just can't accept that."

I had been hoping that her excuse for not wanting to kiss him was me, but I supposed the fact that she wasn't attracted to him was good too.

"Hey Bella," I waited for her to murmur her attention, "I'm thinking of going back to college early, start my papers and stuff and get ahead for the term."

"But you don't even know what your papers are yet, do you?"

It was true, I didn't know for sure, but I could always read all of my textbooks once over before school started. I had to stay at the top, I'd managed for two and a half years now and I desperately had a point to prove to Carlisle.

"It's me isn't it? You're leaving because I kissed you?" Bella looked anxious and I couldn't help but laugh softly as I took in her pained expression.

"No love, I just don't fit in here and now that I'm injured I can't really participate either."

She nodded but I saw the tear slip down her cheek anyway. I hugged her closer.

"It's okay, you enjoy the time with your dad, he must miss you terribly when you're away. I'll see you in two weeks when the holidays are over and we can work on things then."

Bella gulped, "What type of things?"

"Uh, relationship things I guess?" I really sucked at those conversations. I would probably have to practice for a few days beforehand just so that I didn't accidentally slip and confess that I wanted to marry her and have heaps of kids. I had to be very careful not to go too fast too soon, Alice had said she was delicate.

"So, you're still my boyfriend right?" she looked concerned, I smiled and kissed her lips softly.

"Of course, I've just had my fill of my family for this year is all," plus if she wanted to keep this relationship a secret from everyone for the entire time I would really have to be in another town.

Bella sighed, "I don't want you to go," she sounded like a petulant child.

Sue was calling everyone to lunch and I helped Bella down from the rock in silence. She put her bikini top back on as I looked the other way, when she passed me my shirt I slipped it on as elegantly as possible but it still hurt. I would have to have more painkillers with lunch. We walked in silence back to the picnic area, I made sure to keep a reasonable distance between us and of the two eating areas set up, I chose the opposite one to Bella's.

Alice approached me as we were finishing lunch, I grinned before greeting her, "Hey there horny beaver-ette!"

I mock groaned as she play punched me, I was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the picnic rug and Alice perched herself in front of me and leaned over, taking my face in her hands. _It was only a few minutes ago, I was Alice and Bella was talking to me in hushed tones. "Please Alice, just find out the real reason why he's leaving. I need to know if it's because of me." "I still can't believe he's leaving on the second day," Alice sounded annoyed. "Please Alice? Use your mind reading thing or something?"_ I realised what Alice was doing at that moment and pulled away. She slapped me hard across the face.

I sat startled for a moment, Alice looked horrified and I realised everyone was watching us. More than that, they were staring at us. It must have looked odd, our silent exchange followed by Alice slapping me. Well I supposed she had been successful in her attempt to gain information for Bella, shit, how was I going to stop her from telling Bella?

Carlisle stood over us both, "I think I need to talk to you two, in private." I stood and held my hand out to help Alice to her feet, Carlisle interrupted, "no touching, just follow me."

I looked on shocked as Alice stood by herself, shrugging her shoulders as we followed our father to a quiet area out of earshot of the others.

"Now this isn't the first time this has happened in the past two days and it is a long way from appropriate behaviour. Whatever THING you two have going on needs to end. Edward, I feel it would be best if you left us for a bit."

I nodded, I had been intending to leave anyway, this would be just the excuse I needed.

"Perhaps you could resume your studies in England?"

I looked at Carlisle horrified, I couldn't go to England now! I had just settled in, bought a unit, made great friends...for the first time since my mother died I was truly happy. Besides, I had Alice to think of now, and a girlfriend. I thought he'd meant leave the camp, not leave the freaking continent!

"No way! I'm settled here, my family is here, my friends are here..."

"You had friends in high school, I'm sure they're still around, and face it, you hate your family."

"I don't hate Alice, or Jasper, he's pretty much family now," how could he insinuate that I hated Alice? I moved across the world for her. "I'll leave camp for now but I won't leave Alice for good."

"Don't you see? That's what I'm asking you to do, leave Alice. I don't care where you go, just stay away from her, you'll end up killing her!"

"No Dad!" Alice broke in for the first time, "You can't send him away, I only just got him for myself." Alice was sobbing and I wrapped an arm around her protectively. Dad pushed me away hard.

"No touching! How many times do I need to say it?" Carlisle was looking extremely agitated, this wasn't like him at all. It was at least four or five shades crazier than even I had ever seen him. I wondered if he had some type of mental disease he had been hiding from us.

"Alice is an adult, she can decide for herself who she keeps company with." I turned and spun on my heels, walking at a fast but steady pace back towards the main camp where everyone was packing up after the morning's activities.

"Do you want to come for a quick swim before we leave?" Emmett asked as he fell into step beside me. "Everyone else is..."

I supposed I could use some normality, "Sure."

"Excellent, come on, the ladies are changing so we'd better check out the best places first."

I slipped my shirt off and winced at the pain in my shoulder, I wouldn't be swimming far at all. In fact, I would probably be sitting on the edge just in case. I pointed this out to Emmett and he shrugged and smiled, "Your choice, you'll get a good view of the ladies from the edge anyway."

I wondered how Rosalie tolerated Emmett's roving eye, all he ever did was look, and sometimes whistle, but I found it a bit disrespectful. I slipped into the waterhole and waded around the shallows until I found a good place to sit and enjoy the water. Turns out I picked a spot just below the rock ledge everyone jumped off and I was able to laugh silently at the multitude of belly flops as each person entered the water. Bella and Alice jumped in together and I pressed myself back into the shadows so that they wouldn't see me. It became embarrassing when they settled into a quiet nook just out of sight from me but still in clear earshot.

"What was that about?" (B)

"Dad threw a fit, he's asked Edward to leave." (A)

"How convenient for Edward," Bella huffed, "Did you get the real reason why he wanted to leave?"

"Yeah." (A)

"So...?" (B)

"I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want me to tell you." (A)

"Since when has that ever stopped you?" (B) I started praying that it would stop her now.

"He's leaving because you want to keep your relationship a secret and he doesn't trust himself to do that for two weeks." (A) Damn it Alice, you're dangerous with a secret.

"What? But he could have said something, I mean, that's negotiable. He doesn't have to leave." (B)

"It's too late Bella, Dad's pretty much kicked him out now anyway. He'll probably be in England before we even get back to school. Oh...where will you live? You'll have to move in with me and Jasper." (A)

"What do you mean England? Why, why would he go so far? I can't afford to go to England."(B) She sounded heartbroken. I had agreed to leave camp but I had never agreed to leave the country, they would have to try harder than that.

I waded to the edge and slid out of the water. I accidentally stumbled upon Dad and Esme arguing, "...enough of this psychic crap, we need to put an end to it before it kills her! Can't you see it makes her stronger?" "Yes but Carlisle, couldn't we just talk to them, teach them? It could be okay." "There's nothing we can do. You know that. It has to end now. I'll drive him back tonight."

I strode past and grabbed my towel from the back of the ute. I didn't care if they thought I'd heard them, I was angry now. By mid-afternoon we were on our way back to camp, Bella hadn't said a word to me because I hadn't let her. Every time she snuck close I would push myself into the nearest conversation, I didn't know what she would ask me and I wasn't sure what to tell her. At camp I slipped into our tent and started to pack my things, I choked back tears as I moved around Bella's things, I wondered if I could leave her something of mine so she wouldn't take it so hard.

"You're avoiding me," Bella slipped into the tent and closed it behind her, her eyes were wide and scared.

"Yeah, I was trying to," I might as well admit to it.

"You don't have to leave, Carlisle was invited along here, he can't say who can or can't stay. I could get him kicked out instead?"

"It's not like that Bella, he's asking for different reasons, I need to go."

"You were going to go before you knew that though," she accused, and she was right. "You won't go to England though will you?"

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, "I'll do whatever I have to do to keep the peace for Alice's sake. If that's moving to England, then yes, I'll move to England."

Bella's eyes teared up, "Don't I mean anything to you?"

"Sure you do, but I could visit you?"

"From England? And I could never afford to visit you. I'm sorry I asked you to keep us a secret, I take it all back. You can tell everyone, please, just stay."

"Bella, it's too late, I have to go now."

Bella sat on my sleeping bag and cried as I packed. It was torture. I didn't want to be hurting her but I needed to sort this thing out with Alice and it would require sneakiness. I had no intention of leaving this college, but I couldn't let that on to anyone at the moment. I sat next to Bella and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, she fell against me, still crying.

"Can I leave anything here for you? Will anything make this easier?" I doubted that if our situation were reversed that anything would be enough. Bella shook her head for no.

"How about my sleeping bag? You could use it if you want?" That seemed a bit inadequate. I reached over for my wallet and felt around in the back for the hidden zip. Bella stopped crying as she watched me slip my fingers in and pull out a delicate white gold band.

"Here," I took her right hand and slipped it on her third finger, it fit perfectly. "It was my mother's wedding ring, from her second husband. It's all they found after the accident and I've kept it with me ever since. I want you to have it so you'll know I'll come back for you, wherever I end up."

Bella smiled and looked up at me, "Her name was Elizabeth? You never told me that?"

I smiled, "Didn't I? Kind of romantic what he did hey?" I looked at the inscription around the outside of the ring, _to my darling Elizabeth_ followed by the date they first met each other and the co-ordinates of the location they'd met. It was the top of the Eiffel Tower, he'd proposed to her the night they'd met but she'd said no. He kept asking and eighteen months later they were married. I snuggled Bella as I told her the story. I kissed her lightly, then again with everything I had. I wanted her to remember this kiss, if I really did need to go to England it would be a while before I saw her again.

"I love you Isabella Swan," I kissed her again lightly.

"I love you too Edward Mason," she kissed the tip of my nose and I smiled. I would miss her so much for however long it takes to sort this out, but we would be together again.


End file.
